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Alpine County Health Department, 75-B Diamond Valley Rd., Markleeville, CA 96120 Alpine County Board of Supervisors, Phone: (530) 694-2281 District 1: January Riddle, District 2: Ron Hames, District 3: Irvin Jim, District 4: Terry Woodrow, District 5: David Griffith January 24, 2022 ALPINE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT Public Health Officer Order: Ordering the Temporary Closure of Diamond Valley School for In-Person Instruction 75 Diamond Valley Rd, Markleeville, CA 96120 PHONE (530) 694-2146 • FAX (530) 694-2770 EMAIL: [EMAIL REDACTED] January 24, 2022 WHEREAS, a state of emergency has been declared by the State of California, and local emergencies have been declared in Alpine County in response to the virus COVID-19 (Coronavirus); and WHEREAS, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued Public Health Guidance for K- 12 Schools in California for the 2021-22 school year, on the foundational principle that all students must have access to safe and full in-person instruction and to as much instructional time as possible; and WHEREAS, despite its adherence to the CDPH guidelines, Alpine County Unified School District (“District”) has, at present, placed approximately 60% of its students, administrative staff, and teachers in isolation or quarantine at the Diamond Valley School; and WHEREAS, The District has agreed to initiate closure pursuant to an emergency as that term is defined in Education Code section 41422 to ensure compliance with CDPH guidelines and safety on campus for all persons and in order to provide uninterrupted academic instruction through remote learning; NOW, THEREFORE, effective beginning at the end of the school day, Monday, January 24, 2022, under the authority of California Health and Safety Code sections 101040, 101085 and 120175 and Title 17 California Code of Regulations, Section 2501; Article XI of the California Constitution; California Government Code Sections 8634, and 8665, the Alpine County Health Officer: Public Health Brief Richard O. Johnson, M.D., MPH Nichole Williamson Public Health Officer HHS Director Office: [PHONE REDACTED], Ext 249 Office: [PHONE REDACTED] e-mail: [EMAIL REDACTED] 24/7/365 Emergency Contact Number Dispatch: [PHONE REDACTED], Ext 330 ---PAGE BREAK--- Alpine County Health Department, 75-B Diamond Valley Rd., Markleeville, CA 96120 Alpine County Board of Supervisors, Phone: (530) 694-2281 District 1: January Riddle, District 2: Ron Hames, District 3: Irvin Jim, District 4: Terry Woodrow, District 5: David Griffith HEREBY ORDERS as follows: 1. The recitals above are incorporated herein as Findings. 2. Alpine County Unified School District’s Diamond Valley School shall immediately close for in-person instruction. 3. Diamond Valley School shall reopen for in-person instruction on February 7, 2022. 4. This Closure does not apply to the Early Learning Center or to facilities in Bear Valley. 5. Adult staff who are fully vaccinated (defined as 2 doses plus a booster) may continue to perform their jobs on campus. 6. Adults who have not been close contacts of a person(s) identified with COVID-19 may continue to perform their jobs on campus. 7. Adults who are unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated as defined above, and who have been identified as a close contact of a person(s) with COVID-19, are not permitted on any campuses of the Alpine County Unified School District, and are required to quarantine for 10 days, or until Friday February 4, 2022. 8. Adults who are without and who have been fully vaccinated, are permitted on campus to perform their work. They will continue to perform weekly testing according to current protocols. 9. All adults and children should either perform a mental check looking for every 24 hours, or have a parent or guardian perform same for them. Any or questions, which have been identified, should be directed to the Alpine County Health Department at [PHONE REDACTED], Option 1. of COVID-19 I CDC 10. In order to return to school on Monday February 7, 2022, all persons who develop any prior to February 7, 2022 will be required to have a note from a healthcare provider clearing them, or provide negative test results from an antigen or PCR test performed at least 5 days after the onset of This Order shall take effect at the end of the school day on Monday, January 24, 2022 and shall remain in effect until the beginning of the school day on February 7, 2022. General Provisions 1. This Order is issued as a result of the worldwide pandemic of COVID-19 disease, also known as “novel coronavirus,” which has infected more than 5 million persons in California, and caused many thousands of deaths, including children. In addition, children have been diagnosed with Multisystem Inflammatory (MIS-C), with approx. 50% requiring ICU care. ---PAGE BREAK--- Alpine County Health Department, 75-B Diamond Valley Rd., Markleeville, CA 96120 Alpine County Board of Supervisors, Phone: (530) 694-2281 District 1: January Riddle, District 2: Ron Hames, District 3: Irvin Jim, District 4: Terry Woodrow, District 5: David Griffith 2. This Order is issued based on evidence of increasing transmission of COVID-19 both within the County of Alpine and worldwide, scientific evidence regarding the most effective approach to slow transmission of communicable diseases generally and COVID-19 specifically, as well as best practices as currently known and available to protect the public from the risk of spread of or exposure to COVID-19. The current situation at Alpine County Unified School District, with the high percentage of students and staff who have been exposed to COVID-19, make it unsafe for the school to remain open at this time. A large % of students and staff have been recently exposed, a number are currently testing positive and on isolation, and there are not sufficient staff available to sustain a safe operating environment on the campus of the Diamond Valley Elementary School. 3. This Order is intended to reduce the likelihood of exposure to COVID-19 in the school, thereby slowing the spread of COVID-19 in the community and the County as well as, on a larger scale, to communities worldwide. As the presence of individuals increases, the difficulty and magnitude of tracing individuals who may have been exposed to a case rises exponentially. 4. This Order is issued in accordance with, and incorporates by reference, the: March 4, 2020 Proclamation of a State Emergency issued by Governor Gavin Newsom; the March 17, 2020 Declaration of Local Health Emergency based on an imminent and proximate threat to public health from the introduction of novel COVID-19 in Alpine County; the March 17, 2020 Resolution of the Board of Supervisors of the County of Alpine proclaiming the existence of a Local Emergency in the County of Alpine regarding COVID-19 and ratifying and extending the Declaration of Local Health Emergency due to COVID-19; the Declaration of a Local Health Emergency by the Alpine County Health Officer on January 11, 2022, and ratified by the Board of Supervisors on January 18, 2022; all current applicable guidance issued by the California Department of Public Health, including but not limited to the California Department of Public Health Guidance for schools. 5. This Order is made in accordance with all applicable State and Federal laws, including but not limited to: Health and Safety Code sections 101030, et seq.; Health and Safety Code sections 120100, et seq.; and Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations section 2501. 6. To the extent necessary, pursuant to Government Code sections 26602 and 41601 and Health and Safety Code section 101029, the Health Officer requests that the Sheriff ensure compliance with and enforcement of this Order. 7. This Order is made because of the propensity of the virus to spread person-to-person. ---PAGE BREAK--- Alpine County Health Department, 75-B Diamond Valley Rd., Markleeville, CA 96120 Alpine County Board of Supervisors, Phone: (530) 694-2281 District 1: January Riddle, District 2: Ron Hames, District 3: Irvin Jim, District 4: Terry Woodrow, District 5: David Griffith 8. Copies of this Order shall be posted on the County of Alpine’s Public Health Department’s website (COVID-19 I Alpine County, CA - Official Website (alpinecountyca.gov)) and provided to any member of the public requesting a copy of this Order. Richard O. Johnson, MD, MPH Local Public Health Officer Alpine County ---PAGE BREAK--- Alpine County Health Department, 75-B Diamond Valley Rd., Markleeville, CA 96120 Alpine County Board of Supervisors, Phone: (530) 694-2281 District 1: January Riddle, District 2: Ron Hames, District 3: Irvin Jim, District 4: Terry Woodrow, District 5: David Griffith