A. Contact Tracing Protocols

Upon identifying a suspect, probable, or confirmed case, the designated safety and health offices shall initiate contact tracing within the office/floor/building to identify 70% of all possible close contacts within 24 hours and 100% within 48 hours. Contact tracing shall also commence within 24 hours for suspect cases upon identification while waiting for specimen collection for COVID-19 diagnostic testing or RT-PCR results. Identification of second and third-generation close contacts is highly encouraged.

B. Screening and Detection, Containment, and Lockdown

A thermal imaging camera is strategically placed at the main entrance where all employees, after stepping into the shoe bath area, will be scanned to assess their body temperature. If the body temperature is detected to be 37.6 degrees Celsius and above, such an individual shall be barred from entering the campus and will be made to fill out the checklist form for record purposes.

Suppose the said individual will be confirmed to have a fever after allowing to rest and cool down at the designated waiting area, he/she will be advised to go home and submit to a medical consultation at his/her respective barangay for further assessment and management following the DOH and IATF protocols. Immediate preventive self-isolation of the employees from their respective office where the said suspected case is assigned will be carried out awaiting the result of antigen testing or RT-PCR testing. Initial contact tracing is also in effect during this stage. If the result reads positive, all the employees from the same unit/department where the confirmed case is assigned will likewise be placed on self-isolation for monitoring. A list of names from contact tracing will be provided to the contact tracing team of the said barangay. A thorough disinfection process follows immediately on the unit/department/room where the said confirmed case is stationed.

C. Emergency Transfer Protocols for Any SPSPS Employee Exhibiting COVID-19 Symptoms While Inside the Campus

Any employee who exhibits COVID-19 symptoms while inside the campus premises will immediately be referred to PALO RHU for intervention. Suppose the said employee has a private vehicle, he/she will be advised to proceed to the barangay RHU where he/she is residing to report her COVID-19 symptoms. The said barangay RHU personnel will take the initiative to submit to the processes before placing the said individual in a quarantine facility for further monitoring and management. If the employee is without a personal transport vehicle, the school shall provide a transport vehicle where the said employee will be brought to the respective barangay RHU for further management strictly observing health protocols.

Thorough disinfection of the SPSPS transport vehicle shall be performed. The driver will also be self-isolated for 7 days and monitored for any signs of COVID-19 symptoms. Antigen testing for the driver will also be required. The same process will be followed for any co-employees who have been known to be exposed to the said employee who has exhibited symptoms of COVID-19.

D. Referral System Protocols for COVID-19 Suspects/ Confirmed Cases

The school follows the basic guidelines set by the DOH, LGU, and IATF as far as referral of COVID-19 suspects or confirmed cases are concerned, where an initial report will be made known to RHU Palo where collaborative efforts will commence assisting the Contact Tracing Team from the respective RHU personnel while the investigation and contact tracing are performed.

E. Quarantine and Isolation Protocols

1. All employees and students with flu-like symptoms are required to report for a health assessment with the Center for Health Services and Wellness (CHSW) through the following health officers via a telephone call, video call, SMS/text, FB messenger, or Google Chat.

• Mercy B. Alcala- Deputy Head CHSW
• Amadel D. Sevilla – School Nurse
• Dra. Zheilla Marie B. Bocateja – School Physician

2. (a) Any employee/s student/s with symptoms:

• Without a history of travel
• Without exposure
• With or without any comorbidities, such as chronic liver disease, chronic kidney disease, chronic lung disease, hypertension, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, cerebrovascular disease, cardiovascular disease, malignancy or cancer, transplant patients, immunodeficiency state, and neurologic disease

Shall be reported to the Barangay Chairman with the respective BHERT who are authorized to monitor individuals exhibiting symptoms associated with COVID-19, such as but not limited to, cough, colds, and sore throat, and shall report them to the Municipal Health Officer for proper action, treatment, and isolation.

Shall be required for a 7-day self-isolation or quarantine and a negative result of antigen test (without comorbidities) and or RT-CPR Test (with comorbidities) prior to the issuance of ‘Fit for Work’ clearance.

However, such an individual is advised to seek to consult with the School Physician, thru the School Nurse, upon completion of mandatory quarantine/self-isolation for further evaluation and assessment, prior to the issuance of “fit for work clearance”.

(b) Any employee/s or student/s with COVID-19:

• Without a history of travel
• Without exposure
• WITH or WITHOUT any comorbidities, such as chronic liver disease, chronic kidney disease, chronic lung disease, hypertension, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, cerebrovascular disease, cardiovascular disease, malignancy or cancer, transplant patients, immunodeficiency state, and neurologic disease

Shall be required to undergo ten (10) days of isolation and shall be re-swabbed on the 10^th day; if the result tests positive, he shall be re-swabbed on the 7^th day until a negative result is achieved.

F. Physical Distancing Protocols

All employees are highly advised with stringent reminders from the safety and health offices to maintain at least a minimum of 1.5 meters of physical distancing on the campus at all times. The School Nurse, the head of the Safety and Security Office, and the security guards make random rounds on the entire campus to ensure that physical distancing protocol is strictly and consistently followed and maintained.

G. Maintenance, Cleaning, Sanitation, and Disinfection Protocols

Built environments such as buildings, facilities, classrooms, offices, and commonly used spaces among others when anyone develops COVID-19 symptoms while on the school premises are cleaned, sanitized, and disinfected thoroughly. Even in the absence of any individual exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, the school commits a weekly general cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting during weekends. Pedal-operated alcohol dispensers are strategically positioned at various departments and offices where everyone who enters will step on the shoe bathe area and must disinfect their hands with alcohol.

H. Protocols on the Appropriate Use of PPEs

All employees are required to wear face masks inside the campus at all times and/or face shields depending on the IATF and DOH recent guidelines.  The school nurse and the safety and security personnel make random rounds to ensure compliance with the appropriate use of basic PPEs while inside the campus. Daily announcements over the campus installed speakers are played as a constant reminder

I. Cyclical Student and Employee Shifting Plan

The school shall follow the 4-10 cycle mode/mechanism so the number of students inside the campus will be limited.

For: Teaching and Non-Teaching Personnel

Only fully vaccinated teaching and non-teaching personnel located in areas under Alert Levels 1, 2, and 3, shall be allowed to join the conduct of limited face-to-face classes. The school shall advise those who are over sixty (60) years of age, with uncontrolled health risks (e. g immunocompromised states and other comorbidities), and/or pregnant women intending to join limited face-to-face classes of the risk of contracting COVID-19 and to consider work-from-home arrangements instead. The school shall take additional precautionary measures, as needed, for vulnerable individuals who will participate in the limited face-to-face classes.

For: Students

Only fully vaccinated students located in areas under Alert Levels 1, 2, and 3, shall be allowed to join the conduct of limited face-to-face classes. The school shall advise fully vaccinated students with significant comorbidities themselves or living with individuals with similar conditions to consider flexible online learning and take face-to-face classes in succeeding semesters or whenever possible without prejudice to readmission and maximum residency. The school shall take additional precautionary measures, as needed, for vulnerable individuals who will participate in the limited face-to-face classes.

For unvaccinated students, the school shall offer a learning mechanism so as not to prejudice their education through flexible online learning or purely eLearning. As such, the latter will also be required to present a negative Antigen Test result which shall only be valid on the date it was issued by the accredited laboratory testing facilities should the unvaccinated student/s enter/s the campus.

J. Communication Plan to Provide Timely and Updated Information to All Students, Faculty, Staff and Other Stakeholders

The school has created a strong presence of media platforms for all students, faculty, staff, and other stakeholders thru the creation of GSuite accounts where salient information such as announcements via electronic notifications, and sending emails can be easily accessed. The use of Canvas LMS is not only designed for online classes but also for various uses for platforms for various departments, offices, and school organizations thru pages unique and tailored fit for SPSPS exclusive use.

K. School Based COVID-19 Surveillance Program

The school-based COVID-19 Surveillance Program was instituted as the COVID-19 surveillance team, created and spearheaded by Dean Eunice T. Pagatpat, by which the health services unit being under her department, for speedy planning and deployment of the team to respond to the prevention and control, monitoring and management of individuals exhibiting signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and prompt referral and coordination with the local health authorities.

L. Facility for the Proper Storage, Collection, Treatment and Disposal of Used Face Masks and Other Infectious Wastes

SPSPS has identified a designated strategic area for the proper storage, collection, and disposal of used face masks and other infectious wastes. Regular clean-up for the upkeep of the campus is done on a daily basis observing 7S to ensure that cross-infection from other contaminants can be prevented.

M. Communication Plan to Provide Timely and Updated Information to All Students, Faculty, Staff, and Other Stakeholders

Strong linkage amongst all students, faculty staff, and other stakeholders are in place, such as group chat in FB messenger, GSuite accounts, emails, and FB page are utilized and maximized to effectively and promptly convey all information.

N. Catch-up Plan for Learning When Limited Face-to-Face Classes are Suspended

To ensure that there will be a continuity of learning when limited face-to-face classes are suspended, flexible online learning may have to be resumed, thus a continuity of health care services must also be ensured. With the online medical consultation in place, basic health care online services must continue. Close monitoring of employees and other stakeholders who might be exhibiting COVID- 19 symptoms with the presence of variants of recombinants, SPSPS COVID-19 Surveillance must be quick to respond to monitor and prevent any possible transmissions on the campus.

O. Health and Safety Guidelines Governing the Operations of Indoor and Outdoor Dine-In Services Under the Alert Levels System for Covid-19 Response

Consistent with the minimum public health standards prescribed by the Department of Health, school management shall arrange both indoor and outdoor setup, ensure adequate air exchange in enclosed areas by maximizing natural air ventilation thru the opening of windows, and install handwashing stations with adequate and safe water supply with soap and water, and 70% alcohol on designated areas for hand hygiene.