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COVID-19

Preparedness & Response Plan

COVID-19 PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE PLAN

Pandemic EBT

Important information for parents or guardians of students eligible for Free and Reduced Lunch at Flint Cultural Center Academy.

In accordance with Executive Orders that have been issued in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the Academy adopts the following social distancing practices and other mitigation measures to protect Academy employees and contractors.

COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Plan

The symptoms of COVID-19 typically include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Some people infected with the virus have reported experiencing other non-respiratory symptoms. Other people, referred to as asymptomatic cases, have experienced no symptoms at all. COVID-19 is thought to be spread mainly from person to person, between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet) and through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks. It is also possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes.

A. Basic Prevention Measures

  1. Employees are encouraged to stay home if they are experiencing COVID-19 related symptoms (fever, cough, or shortness of breath).
  2. The Academy encourages respiratory etiquette, including covering coughs and sneezes, and frequent and thorough handwashing.
  3. Employees are discouraged from using other workers’ phones, desks, offices, or other work tools and equipment, when possible.
  4. Employees are encouraged to self-monitor for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 if they suspect possible exposure.
  5. In order to increase the physical distance among employees, the Academy will continue to evaluate exposure-reducing measures, such as the extent to which employees are able to work remotely and staggered work shifts. Employees and other individuals who are on Academy property should keep at least six feet from one another to the maximum extent possible.
  6. The Academy is also aware that some employees may be at higher risk for serious illness, such as older adults and those with chronic medical conditions, and will continue to evaluate exposure-reducing measures including ensuring those employees maintain a distance of 6 feet from other employees and visitors.
  7. The Academy will continue to maintain routine cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces, equipment, and other elements of the work environment.
  8. The Academy will comply with applicable local orders issued by the County Health Department.

Prohibition from Entering Academy Property

Any employee or contractor of the Academy who displays respiratory symptoms or has had contact with a person who is known or suspected to have contracted COVID-19 is prohibited from entering property owned, leased, or controlled by the Academy, as set forth in this policy.

A. Employees and contractors who test positive for COVID-19 or who display one or more of the principal symptoms of COVID-19 are prohibited from entering property owned, leased, or controlled by the Academy until:

  1. three days have passed since their symptoms have resolved and seven days have passed since their symptoms first appeared or since they were swabbed for the test that yielded a positive result: or
  2. the employee or contractor receives a negative COVID-19 test.

B. Employees and contractors who have had close contact with an individual who tests positive for COVID-19 or with an individual who displays one or more of the principal symptoms of COVID-19 are prohibited from entering property owned, leased, or controlled by the Academy until:

  1. 14 days have passed since the last close contact with the sick or symptomatic individual: or
  2. the symptomatic individual receives a negative COVID-19 test.

C. Pursuant to Executive Order 2020-36 or any subsequent order, an employee shall not be discharged, disciplined, or otherwise retaliated against for staying at home for the periods described above.

D. An employee who is allowed to return after the periods described above but declines to do so may be subject to discipline, up to and including discharge.

E. To the extent that the employee has no paid leave under state or federal law or accrued paid vacation leave, personal leave, or family leave, the leave may be unpaid.

F. Any child care workers at a child care located within an Academy building (including workers at disaster relief child care centers), are permitted to be physically present in Academy buildings, as determined by Academy administrators and to the greatest extent permitted by applicable executive orders or state law.

G. For purposes of this policy:

  1. The “principal symptoms of COVID-19” are fever, atypical cough, or atypical shortness of breath.
  2. “Close contact” means being within approximately six feet of an individual for a prolonged period of time. Close contact can occur, for example, while caring for, living with, visiting, or sharing a health care waiting room with an individual.

Social Distancing Practices and Mitigation Measures

The Academy shall minimize the number of employees and contractors who are present in any Academy building to no more than is strictly necessary to perform the activities authorized by executive order and state law. The Academy shall promote work to the fullest extent possible.

Employees and contractors who are in an Academy building or on Academy property shall maintain a distance of at least six feet from one another to the maximum extent possible.

The Academy shall implement other social distancing practices and mitigation measures relating to COVID-19 as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health authorities to the maximum extent possible.

Self-Reporting by Employees and Contractors

To proactively take measures to minimize the spread of COVID-19 and keep our school community as safe as possible during this Public Health Emergency, employees and contractors shall self-report any COVID-19 related concerns. In the event that an employee or contractor is unable to self-report, the employee should make best efforts to notify the Academy or have a member of the employee or contractor’s family notify the Academy, as soon as practicable under the circumstances.

A. Employees and contractors shall self-report any one of the following situations:

Quarantine

    • You have been advised by a healthcare provider to self-quarantine.
    • You have self-quarantined as a preventative care measure because of COVID-19 related symptoms as described by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (i.e. fever, cough, difficulty breathing).
    • You are subject to a quarantine or isolation order.

Care for Others

    • You are caring for an individual who is subject to an order as described above.
    • You are caring for a son or daughter and the school or childcare provider has been closed or is unavailable due to COVID-19.
    • You must care for an at-risk family member who is following a requirement or recommendation to quarantine due to exposure to or symptoms of COVID-19.

Exposure

    • You know or have reason to believe another employee has COVID-19.
    • You have come into contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
    • You believe you have been exposed to COVID-19.
    • You are experiencing symptoms and are actively seeking a medical diagnosis.

Diagnosis

    • You have been diagnosed with/tested positive for COVID-19.

Confidentiality
The Academy will take reasonable precautions to protect health information pursuant to all applicable laws and statutes, including, but not limited to, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA).

Emergency Paid Sick Leave
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act provides eligible employees up to 80 hours of paid leave for one (1), or for a combination, of the following reasons:

  1. The employee is subject to a Federal, State, or local quarantine or isolation order related to COVID–19.
  2. The employee has been advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine due to concerns related to COVID–19.
  3. The employee is experiencing symptoms of COVID–19 and seeking a medical diagnosis.
  4. The employee is caring for an individual who is subject to an order as described in (1) above or has been advised as described in (2) above.
  5. The employee is caring for a son or daughter of such employee if the school or place of care of the son or daughter has been closed, or the child care provider of such son or daughter is unavailable, due to COVID–19 precautions.
  6. The employee is experiencing any other substantially similar condition specified by the Secretary of Health and Human Services in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of Labor.

Full-time employees may be eligible for up to 80 hours of paid sick leave for one of the qualifying reasons. Part-time employees may be eligible for up to a number of hours equal to the number of hours that such employee works, on average, over a 2-week period. Emergency Paid Sick Leave under the FFCRA shall not exceed 80 hours.

Paid sick time is calculated based on the employee’s compensation and the number of hours the employee would otherwise be scheduled to work, except that in no event shall such paid sick time exceed:

  1. $511 per day and $5,110 in the aggregate for reasons (1), (2), or (3) (above);
  2. $200 per day and $2,000 in the aggregate for reasons (4), (5), or (6) (above).

Paid sick time provided to an employee shall cease beginning with the employee’s next scheduled work shift immediately following the termination of the need for paid sick time under the FFCRA. Emergency Paid Sick Leave shall not carry over from one year to the next.

Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion

The FFCRA Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act (EFMLEA) provides eligible employees up to twelve (12) weeks of leave if the employee is unable to work (or telework) due to a need for leave to care for the son or daughter under 18 years of age of such employee if the school or place of care has been closed, or the child care provider of such son or daughter is unavailable, due to a public health emergency.

An employee must have been employed for at least 30 calendar days to be eligible for leave under the EFMLEA.

The first ten (10) days for which an employee takes EFMLEA leave shall be unpaid, however the employee may be eligible for Emergency Paid Sick Leave, as described above.

Each day of leave after the initial 10 days expires shall be paid. Paid leave shall be calculated based on an amount that is not less than two-thirds of an employee’s regular rate of pay and the number of hours the employee would otherwise be normally scheduled to work. Paid leave shall not exceed $200 per day and $10,000 in the aggregate.

Public Health Emergency means an emergency with respect to COVID–19 declared by a Federal, State, or local authority.

Child Care Provider means a provider who receives compensation for providing child care services on a regular basis, including an ‘eligible child care provider’ (as defined in section 658P of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858n)).

School means an ‘elementary school’ or ‘secondary school’ as such terms are defined in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).

Son or Daughter means “a biological, adopted, or foster child, a stepchild, a legal ward, or a child of a person standing in loco parentis, who is under 18 years of age; or 18 years of age or older and incapable of self-care because of a mental or physical disability.”

Documentation

An employee who needs to take leave under the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act or EFMLEA should submit a written request with the following information:

  1. The employee’s name.
  2. The date or dates for which leave is requested.
  3. A statement of the COVID-19 related reason the employee is requesting leave and written support for such reason; and
  4. A statement that the employee is unable to work, including by means of telework, for such reason.

In the case of a leave request based on a quarantine order or self-quarantine advice, the written support provided by the employee should include the name of the governmental entity ordering quarantine or the name of the healthcare professional advising self-quarantine, and, if the person subject to quarantine or advised to self-quarantine is not the employee, that person’s name and relation to the employee.

In the case of a leave request based on a school closing or child care provider unavailability, the statement from the employee should include the name and age of the child (or children) to be cared for, the name of the school that has closed or place of care that is unavailable, and a representation that no other person will be providing care for the child during the period for which the employee is receiving family medical leave and, with respect to the employee’s inability to work or telework because of a need to provide care for a child older than fourteen during daylight hours, a statement that special circumstances exist requiring the employee to provide care.

Expiration

This policy and the requirements under this policy shall expire on December 31, 2020, unless state or federal law extends the expiration date.

Legal References
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (PL 116-127, § 5101 et seq.; 134 Stat. 177)
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act (PL 116-127, § 3101 et seq.; 134 Stat. 177)
Executive Order 2020-65, or any subsequent order
Executive Order 2020-36, or any subsequent order
Executive Order 2020-110, or any subsequent order
Executive Order 2020-114, or any subsequent order
Occupational Health and Safety Administration Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19, available at https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3990.pdf.

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