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Safely Resuming Events/Activities

Please note: All WVU and WVU Extension in-person events, activities, meetings, etc. are canceled through June 30, 2020. The guidelines below are for events/activities resuming July 1, 2020.

Indoor Event Guidelines (Beginning July 1, 2020)

Operations 

A woman with a face mask serves coffee through a drive thru window.

Attendance is limited to the Governor’s and local health department’s regulations, currently less than 25 (as of May 8, 2020). 

Remember that WVU Extension is not expected to screen students or staff to identify cases of COVID-19. If a community has cases of COVID-19, local health officials will help identify those individuals and will follow up on next steps.  

  • Temperature checks will be administered daily. Any participant or volunteer with a temperature will not be permitted to participate and must be separated from the event area. 

  • Events will practice social distancing, including use of masks, hand washing and other health measures as directed by the county and state health departments or Governor’s office. Avoid mixing youths in common areas. Examples include: 

  • allow students to eat lunch and breakfast in separate areas rather than mixing in the cafeteria or in one room.  

  • If it is not possible to suspend use of common areas, try to limit the extent to which students mix with each other and, particularly with students from other groups (e.g., stagger lunches, segregate lunch and recreation area by group). 

  • Restrict hallway use through staggered release of groups.  

  • Try to avoid taking multiple groups to bathrooms at once (e.g., avoid having all children use the bathroom right after lunch or activity).  

  • Limit other activities where multiple groups interact. 

  • Stagger arrival and/or dismissal times. These approaches can limit the amount of close contact between students in high-traffic situations and times. 

  • Separation areas must be identified if a temperature or coughing, sneezing conditions exist, until parent or guardian can be notified and pick up the child.  

  • Identify critical job functions and positions, and plan for alternative coverage by cross-training staff. 

  • Determine what level of absenteeism will disrupt continuity of teaching and learning. 

Sanitation 

  • If food is available, all dining staff /food handlers must follow Health Department and CDC regulations for food preparation during a pandemic. 

  • All facilities must be deep cleaned with bathroom facilities sanitized multiple times daily.  

  • Handwashing facilities must be available within the event premises. Soap and paper towels or hand air dryers must be available to participants. Adequate hand-washing stations are available and, at minimum, handwashing (sanitizing) occurs prior to and after eating any food.  

  • Coughs and sneezes are buried in the sleeve, not covered by hands.  

  • Personal supplies (e.g., hats, brushes, hair ties, contact solutions) and drinking containers are never shared with others.  

  • Routinely clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that are frequently touched. This may include cleaning objects/surfaces not ordinarily cleaned daily (e.g., doorknobs, light switches, classroom sink handles, countertops). Clean with the cleaners typically used. Use all cleaning products according to the directions on the label. For disinfection, most common EPA-registered household disinfectants should be effective. A list of products that are EPA-approved for use against the virus that causes COVID-19 is available from the EPA. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for all cleaning and disinfection products (e.g., concentration, application method and contact time, etc.). 

  • Provide EPA-registered disposable wipes to teachers and staff so that commonly used surfaces (e.g., keyboards, desks, remote controls) can be wiped down before use. 

  • Ensure adequate supplies to support cleaning and disinfection practices. 

Outdoor Event Guidelines (Beginning July 1, 2020)

Operations 

  • Temperature checks will be administered randomly. Temporal thermometers are recommended to minimize contact. WVU Extension is not expected to screen students or staff to identify cases of COVID-19. If a community (or more specifically, a school) has cases of COVID-19, local health officials will help identify those individuals and will follow up on next steps. 

  • Events should adhere to social distancing and masks according to the Governor’s Office and local health department orders. 

  • Separation areas must be identified if a temperature or coughing, sneezing conditions exist, until parent or guardian can be notified and retrieve child.  

  • Participant numbers are aligned with recommendations from the West Virginia Governor’s Office, currently less than 25 (as of May 8, 2020). 

Sanitation 

  • Handwashing facilities must be available including soap and paper towels or hand air dryers or, at minimum, hand sanitizer with 60% alcohol. Adequate hand-washing stations are available and handwashing (sanitizing) occurs prior to and after eating any food.  

  • Coughs and sneezes are buried in the sleeve, not covered by hands.  

  • Personal supplies (e.g., hats, brushes, hair ties, contact solutions) and drinking containers are never shared with others.  

  • Provide EPA-registered disposable wipes to teachers and staff so that commonly used surfaces (e.g., gate latches, recreational equipment) can be wiped down before use. Surface cleaning should be part of the regular routine and coronavirus is easily killed by most household cleaners. The CDC provides a list of cleaners that work against viruses.  

  • Ensure adequate supplies to support cleaning and disinfection practices. 

Additional Resources

  • Information about COVID-19 available through state and local health departments 

  • General CDC fact sheets to help staff and students’ families understand COVID-19 and the steps they can take to protect themselves: 

What is social distancing? 

All individuals, WHEN IN PUBLIC (e.g., parks, outdoor recreation areas, shopping areas), should maximize physical distance from others. Social settings of more than 50 people, where appropriate distancing may not be practical, should be avoided unless precautionary measures are observed.