CORPUS CHRISTI, TX –The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) has updated the state’s COVID-19 reporting requirements and school exclusion policies to reflect changes in COVID-19’s effects on public health. With the evolving landscape of COVID-19 surveillance, DSHS recommends the following prioritization to focus resources on areas of highest impact:
- COVID-19-associated outbreak(s) in any population or facility (e.g., nursing homes, assisted-living facilities, daycares, correctional facilities, schools, camps, mass gatherings). Unusual group expression of COVID-19 that may be of public health concern as per Texas Administrative Code Rule 97.3 should be reported as soon as possible.
- DSHS has updated the Texas school exclusion criteria to align the requirements for COVID-19 with those for other respiratory viruses like the flu. Students must only be excluded from school until they have been fever-free for 24 hours without using fever-reducing medication.
The Corpus Christi-Nueces County Public Health District will closely monitor any further updates DSHS may provide relating to reporting COVID-19 cases. We are obligated to follow the guidelines provided by both the CDC and DSHS.
For more information, media representatives can contact Health District Public Information Officer Brittany Claramunt at 361-826-7232 or email at [email protected].
