August 27, 2020 

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We are receiving many questions about returning to school.  This is very understandable.  Here are a few things to be aware of as we come back to school on August 31, 2020:

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ALL students will be required to wear a mask if they choose to attend Garland Elementary in person.  This is not optional.  All students should bring their own mask to school.

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Students will be able to remove masks only when they are outside and can socially distance and while eating lunch.  

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All drinking fountains will be turned off.  All students should bring a water bottle to school. It must be plastic and unbreakable.  Please write their name on it and do not fill it with anything but water.  Students will be able to refill their water bottles using the sinks in their classroom.  

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If your student is sick, DO NOT send them to school. 

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I have attached the updated state public health order for your reference.  We received this on August 16, 2020. Requiring students to wear a mask is not a school or district policy.  It is a legal, state order.  We are required to enforce this.

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For Immediate Release Contact: Brooke Scheffler, Governor’s Office bscheffler@utah.gov 801.674.0132

 

State Issues Public Health Order Clarifying Requirements for Face Masks in Schools SALT LAKE CITY (Aug. 14, 2020) -

The Utah Department of Health has issued a public health order clarifying the standards for face coverings in schools. The order stipulates that every individual on school property, or on a school bus, must wear a face mask which covers the nose and mouth without openings that can be seen through, secures under the chin, and fits snugly against the sides of the nose and the face. Face masks must be worn, even when an individual is able to physical distance, except in very limited circumstances. Face shields may only be worn without a face mask when the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication, including for an individual who is deaf or hard of hearing or while participating in speech therapy.

 

“Recent studies are showing that not all face coverings provide equal protection against COVID-19,” said Gov. Gary R. Herbert. “As we send our children back to school, we need to make sure that they are wearing face masks that actually reduce the spread of coronavirus in the air.” View the full text of the public health order, the requirements for masks worn on school property and in school buses, here.

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To follow is the original public health order.  This original order has been superseded by the updated version.  

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288 North 1460 West, Box 141000 • Salt Lake City, UT 84114-1000
Telephone (801) 538-6111 • www.health.utah.gov
UPHO 2020-10
State of Utah

GARY R HERBERT
Governor

SPENCER J. COX
Lieutenant Governor

Utah Department of Health
Executive Director’s Office

Joseph K. Miner, M.D., M.S.P.H., F.A.C.P.M.

Executive Director

Marc E. Babitz, M.D.

Deputy Director

Nate Checketts

Deputy Director
Director, Medicaid and Health Financing

STATE PUBLIC HEALTH ORDER

WHEREAS, on March 6, 2020, Governor Gary R. Herbert issued Executive Order 2020-
1, declaring a state of emergency due to novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19);

WHEREAS, on March 13, 2020, Donald J. Trump, President of the United States issued
the Proclamation on Declaring a National Emergency Concerning the Novel Coronavirus
Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak;

WHEREAS, COVID-19 is caused by a virus that spreads easily from person to person,
may result in serious illness or death, and has been characterized by the World Health
Organization as a worldwide pandemic;

WHEREAS, COVID-19 can spread between individuals in close proximity through
respiratory droplets produced when an infected individual speaks, coughs, or sneezes;

WHEREAS, an infected individual can transmit COVID-19 even if the individual does
not present symptoms or know that the individual is infected;

WHEREAS, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the
Utah Department of Health have recommended the use of face masks or other face coverings
to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19;

WHEREAS, I have determined that it is appropriate to require individuals to wear
face coverings while in a school or school bus to protect public health;

WHEREAS, recent data show a large increase in the transmission rate of COVID-19 in
Utah, and the Utah State Epidemiologist announced that Utah is experiencing a dramatic rise in
the spread of COVID-19 across Utah;

WHEREAS, under Utah Code §§ 26-1-30(3), (5), and (6), the Utah Department of Health
has the power and duty to promote and protect the health and wellness of the people within the
state; to control the causes of epidemic, infectious, communicable, and other diseases affecting
the public health; and to prevent and control communicable, infectious, acute, chronic, or any
other disease or health hazard that the Department considers to be dangerous, important, or likely
to affect the public health.
288 North 1460 West, Box 141000 • Salt Lake City, UT 84114-1000
Telephone (801) 538-6111 • www.health.utah.gov
UPHO 2020-10

Based on the foregoing, in accordance with the authority vested in me as the Executive
Director of the Utah Department of Health by Utah Code §§ 26-1-10, 26-1-30, and 26-6-3, and
being fully advised and finding the factual basis and legal requirements have been established;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Joseph K. Miner, M.D., Executive Director of the Utah
Department of Health, hereby order the following, beginning July 17, 2020:
1. As used in this Order:
a. “Employee” means any individual employed by the school district or school
including an administrator, administrative personnel member, faculty member,
teacher aide, or staff member.
b. “Face covering” means a cloth mask that covers the nose and mouth without
openings that can be seen through, a face shield, or similar covering that covers
the nose and mouth.
c. “School” means a local education entity or private school that provides any
kindergarten through grade-12 program or service, including a residential
treatment center that provides any kindergarten through grade-12 program or
service.
d. “School bus” means district- or school-provided transportation that transports a
student to or from a school or a school-sponsored activity.
e. “School property” means any real property, including any building, structure,
facility, or part thereof, that is owned, leased, occupied, or controlled by a school.
f. “Student” means an individual who attends school.
g. “Visitor” means any individual, including a volunteer, who is on school property
or on a school bus, other than an employee or student.
2. Each individual, including an employee, student, or visitor, on school property or
on a school bus shall wear a face covering, except as provided in Section (3).
3. Section (2) does not apply to:
a. an individual while maintaining a physical distance of at least six feet from any
other individual when outdoors;
b. an individual who is eating or drinking while indoors and maintains a physical
distance of at least six feet from any other individual;
c. a child who:
i. is younger than three years of age; or
ii. is three years old or older if the parent, guardian, or individual
responsible for caring for the child cannot place the face covering
safely on the child's face;
d. an individual with a medical condition, mental health condition, or disability
that prevents wearing a face covering, including an individual with a medical
condition for whom wearing a face covering could cause harm or dangerously
288 North 1460 West, Box 141000 • Salt Lake City, UT 84114-1000
Telephone (801) 538-6111 • www.health.utah.gov
UPHO 2020-10
obstruct breathing, or who is unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable
to remove a face covering without assistance;
e. an individual who is deaf or hard of hearing while communicating with
others, or an individual who is communicating with an individual who is deaf
or hard of hearing, where the ability to see the mouth is essential for
communication, in which case a face shield or alternative protection such as a
plexiglass barrier should be used;
f. an individual who has an Individualized Education Program (IEP) under the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. section 1414, or an
accommodation under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29
U.S.C. section 794, that would necessitate exempting the individual from
wearing a face covering;
g. an individual who is receiving or providing a service involving the
nose or face for which temporary removal of the face covering is
necessary to perform the service; or
h. an individual participating in a school sponsored activity or physical
education class as long as the individual complies with Appendix C of the
Phased Guidelines for the General Public and Businesses to Maximize Public
Health and Economic Reactivation.
4. A school may require an individual to provide a medical directive verifying a need for an
exemption under Subsection (3)(d).
5. For an individual described in Subsection (3)(f), a local education agency shall
document the accommodation in accordance with 34 CFR 104.33(a) as part of the
student’s IEP or Section 504 accommodation plan.
This Order is effective immediately and shall remain in effect until 11:59 p.m. December
31, 2020, unless otherwise modified, amended, rescinded, or superseded.
Made at 4pm on the 17th day of July
Joseph K. Miner, M.D.
Executive Director
Utah Department of Health

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