Long Beach Issues New Health Order Protocols for Higher Education Institutions and School-Aged Childcare Providers

The Long Beach Health Department Sept, 9 issued protocols for the City’s Safer at Home Health Order addressing institutes of higher educatio and school-aged childcare providers in an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19.

K-12 Schools

The State Public Health Officer requires all public and private schools (K-12) in counties in Tier 1 of the State’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy, including the County of Los Angeles and the City of Long Beach, to remain closed to in-person instruction. Public and private K-12 schools may provide specialized in-person services for high needs students, such as those with Individual Education Programs, disabilities, English language learners and other at-risk students, and limited to no more than 25% of maximum occupancy of a particular school. Each stable group, or cohort, can be no more than 14 students and two instructors and must not mix with other cohorts.

Institutes of Higher Education

Colleges and universities in Long Beach will not be able to resume all in-person academic instruction at this time. Institutions may continue to offer in-person training and instruction for essential workforce for only those activities that cannot be accomplished through virtual learning. All other academic instruction must continue to be done via distance-learning.

School-Aged Childcare Providers 

To the extent possible, childcare facilities must operate under the following mandatory conditions:   

Childcare must be carried out in stable groups (called cohorts) of no more than 14 and shall not exceed capacity requirements per guidance from the California Department of Public Health. California Department of Social Services licensing requirements may mandate smaller cohorts in certain situations.

Children shall not change from one cohort to another.  

If more than one cohort of children is cared for at one facility, each group or cohort shall be in a separate room. Groups shall not mix with each other. 

Childcare providers shall remain solely with one cohort of children. 

Providers shall adhere to the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services Guidance for Early Care and Education Providers and Protocols for Programs Providing Day Care for School-Aged Children.Any other conditions required by the California Department of Social Services found here.