COVID-19 Update - Child Care
Programs during Stage 4
Austin Public Health Recommends Everyone Masks Indoors
On July 23rd, Austin-Travis County announced the community is in Stage 4 of the Austin Public Health (APH) Risk-Based Guidelines. APH is recommending that everyone ages 2+ wear masks indoors, and if eligible, get vaccinated. This is due in part to the confirmed presence of the Delta variant in our community, and an increase in new cases and hospitalizations.
The Delta variant is a mutation of the previous strain and can be spread more easily, especially among unvaccinated individuals. Fortunately, the vaccine continues to be effective against the new variants. Vaccination helps prevent COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths and is essential to help us end this pandemic. Viruses don’t mutate if they can’t replicate. We can help prevent the virus from replicating by vaccinating enough people so that the virus has nowhere to go.
Child Care Programs Must Remain Vigilant
Continuing to implement prevention measures is more crucial now than ever before. APH strongly recommends that child care programs follow the CDC’s COVID-19 Child Care Program Symptom Screening Flowchart before allowing any person entry into the operation. Additionally, APH urges the following:
- Children and staff who have symptoms of infectious illness, such as influenza (flu) or COVID-19, should stay home and be referred to their healthcare provider for testing and care. Staying home when sick with COVID-19 is essential to keep COVID-19 infections out of child care facilities and prevent spread to others.
- It is essential for people who are not fully vaccinated to quarantine after a recent exposure to someone with COVID-19. Anyone who is a close contact of someone with COVID-19 should complete quarantine before returning to child care to keep COVID from spreading to others within the program and the community.
- Because most childcare providers serve children who are not yet eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, it is important to continue to follow the Recommendations for Open Childcare Programs regarding the use of face masks indoors and outdoors.
Reporting
Email ChildCareInfo@austintexas.gov or call the Austin Public Health Nurse Line at 512-972- 5560 to:
- Ask questions about suspected or potential COVID-19 cases or exposures; and
- Report any laboratory confirmed cases of COVID-19 among children or staff.
The Nurse Line staff will advise open childcare facilities on next steps for suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19. It is recommended that staff keep daily logs for each stable group that conform to the following requirements to support Austin Public Health in conducting contact tracing of cases if necessary: name, drop-off and pick-up time, adult dropping off and picking up, and all staff that interact with the child(ren) in care.
Get Vaccinated!
Being fully vaccinated is proven to provide the highest level of protection against COVID-19 and COVID variants. APH strongly recommends that all childcare staff and eligible school aged children 12 and up get vaccinated. The vaccine protects children from illness from COVID-19 and spreading it to others.
Please share with staff and families information from Texas Medical Association about why children need to be vaccinated – Why Your Child Needs a COVID-19 Vaccine (also available in Spanish). To locate providers in the area with a supply of COVID-19 vaccine, go to Vaccines.gov or text your zip code to 438829 (822862 for Spanish).
For COVID-19 information and updates, please visit www.AustinTexas.gov/COVID19.
If you have questions for Austin Public Health during COVID-19, please email us at ChildCareInfo@austintexas.gov.
