MAINTAINING THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF ALL MEMBERS OF THE OCSA COMMUNITY REMAINS OUR TOP PRIORITY

At this point in time, Orange County remains in the Purple Tier of California’s tiered reopening system based on the Blueprint for a Safer Economy, which means that Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) is not permitted to open for in-person instruction.

Students and teachers have been assigned schedules for the spring semester in alignment with their preference for virtual or hybrid/in-person instruction. All spring courses, including those that are designated as hybrid/in-person courses, will continue to be offered through a distance learning format until OCSA is able to safely open for in-person instruction.

There will be no in-person instruction offered until such time that the county moves back into the Red Tier and has remained in the Red Tier for at least five consecutive days. Please note that the blueprint previously mandated a 14-day period in the Red Tier prior to a school reopening, but guidelines were recently updated to reflect a requirement of only five consecutive days. The first day a county is considered in the Red Tier is the Wednesday after the weekly county tier assignments are announced and posted on the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) website. As such, our anticipated campus reopening will likely be on a Monday (five calendar days after we enter the Red Tier on a Wednesday).

We are prepared to open for hybrid/in-person instruction as soon as we are cleared by the state and local officials, so please consider preparing as necessary for that transition. Once guidelines permit and we are able to return to campus safely, Hybrid/In-Person Learning Academy students and teachers will transition to a hybrid/in-person format for the remainder of their spring semester classes.

OCSA will continue to follow guidance from the CDPH and Orange County Health Care Agency for the safe operation of in-person learning.

OCSA is committed to providing accurate and transparent information regarding COVID-19 cases on our campus, while also maintaining privacy and confidentiality for our students and staff. The graphic below is an example of how data regarding active COVID-19 cases among OCSA students and staff on our campus (Hybrid/In-Person Learning Academy only) will be presented. This data will be updated regularly and as cases are confirmed.

OCSA has created a COVID-19 Reporting Form to help streamline the process for our OCSA community to know how and when to report a positive COVID-19 case.

You can access the form at any time by visiting www.ocsarts.net/COVID19Report. 

This form is to be used by OCSA faculty, staff, and students (or parents/guardians on behalf of students) who are currently participating in the Hybrid/In-Person Learning Academy. This form is also available to parents, vendors, or visitors to the OCSA campus. Please be assured that OCSA will maintain confidentiality regarding any information submitted through this form and will protect student/staff privacy following established HIPAA and FERPA protocols.

Please complete this form if you, or your student, have been on the OCSA campus and:

• Have received a positive COVID-19 test
• Have had a possible exposure to COVID-19
• Are currently experiencing COVID-19 symptoms

Each time OCSA is notified through the COVID-19 Reporting Form of a positive case on campus related to a student, faculty/staff member, or community member, our Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs), who are certified in contact tracing, will determine the level of exposure and initiate one or more of the following notifications.

Close Contact Notification: Close contact is defined as being exposed to a COVID-19 positive individual at a distance of less than 6 feet for more than 15 minutes within a 24-hour period. Individuals identified within this group will receive notification from an OCSA LVN via phone call AND email. The LVN will provide the individual with key instructions regarding quarantine and related health care information.

Low Risk Notification: Low risk is defined as being indirectly exposed to a COVID-19 positive individual through a shared classroom or office space. Individuals identified within this group will receive notification from an OCSA LVN via email through Aeries Communications. The notification will include health care information related to monitoring potential symptoms; however, individuals within this group are not required to quarantine as long as they remain symptom free.

General Community Notification: In addition to providing close contact and low risk notifications to individuals based on the level of exposure, OCSA will send a general community notification via email on days that positive COVID-19 cases are reported on campus. The email will only provide the number of new cases reported for that day, ensuring that all stakeholders remain informed, while also maintaining privacy and confidentiality for our students and staff. The current number of active cases will also be updated regularly on this page.

Lastly, with each confirmed positive case, the OCSA Facilities Team will be notified as well. These professionals are trained to complete a deep cleaning of any exposure area(s) and are committed to keeping the OCSA campus safe.

Please note, this notification system will officially begin once OCSA reopens for hybrid/in-person instruction and all Hybrid/In-Person Learning Academy students and teachers return to campus.

In addition to health and safety measures taken on our campus, we encourage the OCSA community to be proactive in helping to limit the spread of COVID-19 by practicing physical distancing (staying at least six feet apart), maintaining good hygiene (hand washing), and wearing face coverings.

Important public health prevention measures include:

• Anyone with symptoms consistent with COVID-19 should remain at home in isolation for a minimum of 10 days, plus at least 24 hours after the resolution of fever (without fever-reducing medication) and improvement of other symptoms. 

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds (sing the Happy Birthday song for help in timing the 20 seconds). If soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based hand sanitizers that contain at least 60% alcohol.

• Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue, and then dispose of the tissue and clean your hands immediately. If you do not have a tissue, use your sleeve, not your hands, to cover your coughs and sneezes.

• Limit close contact with people who are sick, and avoid sharing food, drinks, or utensils.

• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipes. 

• All students and staff should wear a mask or face covering while in the educational setting.

Please review the following OCSA resources for additional information:

• School Reopening & Safety Plan

• COVID-19 School Guidance Checklist

• Important School Updates

• Spring 2021 Instructional Plan FAQ

For additional questions related to COVID-19, please visit the OC Health Care Agency website, which also includes a COVID-19 hotline.