CVUSD Debuts COVID Dashboard
Castro Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) released its comprehensive health safety plan for the 2021-22 school year last week with the addition of a new feature: a dashboard that tallies the number of students and staff who have tested positive for COVID-19.
In a letter to parents and students on August 15, school superintendent Parvin Ahmadi praised the months of preparation and support from public health officials that have allowed CVUSD to open all campuses to in-person instruction with safety protocols and restrictions.
“A huge thanks to staff for making sure students’ first week was as smooth as possible during these challenging times. Thank you for your patience and support as we embark on this school year with COVID still a global health concern.”
CVUSD's comprehensive COVID Safety Plan includes all California Department of Public Health requirements and guidance from the Alameda County Department of Public Health. The plan includes information on masking, handwashing, cleaning, food service protocols, ventilation, health screening required, testing, vaccination, and a clear and concise action plan for tracing and tracking cases.
While schools have clear-cut protocols for protecting against the spread of the coronavirus, the district is still waiting for updated guidelines for athletics from the state’s Department of Health.
“In the meantime, testing requirements such as testing remain the same as last year until further notice,” Ahmadi told the Forum. “We are finalizing guidelines for spectators during competitions outdoors and indoors which will be shared with families as soon as it is done.”
COVID-19 Positive Case Dashboard
The COVID-19 case dashboard is a new addition to all California public school districts, Ahmadi said. The State standard as of this school year is to require districts to post the information on their websites in response to the public's interest in being informed.
CVUSD said it will report all confirmed COVID-19 cases among staff and students physically present at district schools and facilities during their infectious period for COVID-19. The purpose of this data is to provide families and staff with a transparent summary of self-reported COVID-19-related positive cases and exposures.
“The district will not report cases of students engaged in 100% distance learning or staff working remotely, nor will it report cases that occur during school holidays, travel or other circumstances where the COVID-19 case was not present at a school or district facility during the infectious period,” the District said on its dashboard site.
For confidentiality purposes, names and identifying information are not reported.
“Social media is a powerful tool that can be used to help us in many ways,” Ahmadi said. “However, it is important to be careful when sharing information about cases in our community as these are our students, neighbors, family members, and staff and we do not want to cause harm with our comments. We are a community and all in this together.”
The dashboard will only be updated within 24 hours when the district learns of a confirmed COVID-19 case when that occurs between Monday and Thursday. Cases reported on Fridays and weekends will be added to the dashboard by the following Monday.
CVUSD’s Safety Plan can be found on their website—https://www.cv.k12.ca.us/apps/pages/coronavirus-4