THD Public Health Emergency Preparedness Update - March 30 5:30 p.m.

March 30, 2020  5:30 p.m. CST USDA Approves Oklahoma's Request for Free Meals for All Students Announced today from the State Department of Education, Oklahoma students statewide will soon be able to access two free meals a day following a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) waiver, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister announced today. The Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) applied for the waiver March 11 and March 25 to remove the requirement that school feeding sites be located in high-need areas under the Emergency School Closure provisions of the Seamless Summer Option (SSO) and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). Approved over the weekend, the waiver grants site-area eligibility to 31 states, including Oklahoma. Prior to the waiver, districts could provide free meals only if 50% of students at a school met eligibility for the free and reduced-price lunch program. Hofmeister said the waiver is welcome news as districts clamor for ways to get meals to students in the midst of distance learning necessary in the wake of the global pandemic. "Amid such uncertainty and instability, we should not be asking our families or schools to worry over needless red tape," she said. "This waiver means that, following a simple application, any district in the state can establish feeding sites for up to two free meals a day for every student who needs one." Oklahoma received a swift response to its multiple waiver requests after U.S. Sen. James Lankford intervened. The waiver is in effect until June 30, 2020, or until the federally declared public health emergency expires. New Guidelines from CDC CDC Issues Domestic Travel Advisory for New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut | 3.28.20 (NEW) Children and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Tips to keep children healthy while school's out | 3.28.20 (NEW) Resources for State, Local, Territorial and Tribal Health Departments | 3.29.20 (UPDATED) Resources for Correctional and Detention Facilities | 3.29.20 (UPDATED) Retirement Communities and Independent Living Facilities | 3.24.20 (LINK CORRECTION) Thank You to All of Our Leaders We appreciated this feature on our Executive Director Dr. Bruce Dart! Dr. Dart leads an agency of 340 diverse and dedicated public health professionals who are committed to protecting the health and well-being Tulsa County residents. We appreciate the collaboration between all city and county leaders as well as emergency management during this response. Together, we stand Tulsa Strong. Tulsa Area United Way Shares Volunteer Opportunities Tulsa Area United Way is constantly adding volunteer opportunities as they come available. Find ways to volunteer in our community.  New Tobacco Stops With Me Resources Available As we know, COVID-19 has a great risk to those with underlying health conditions. Stopping tobacco can greatly impact your health in a positive way. Share the latest fact sheets on tobacco-prevention policies, dangers of youth vaping and ways continued tobacco use affects every Oklahoman. Download Now Know the Risks: Smoking and COVID-19 Next Press Conference - April 1 The next news conference with Tulsa Health, City and County officials is scheduled Wed, April 1, at noon at via FB live on City of Tulsa GOV page. As a reminder, following the live conference, recaps are available in Spanish, Zomi and Burmese. THD is working on resources available for other translations. View Saturday's press conference. Donations Accepted Corporate, industrial or medical partners wishing to donate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) may email covid19donations@cityoftulsa.org. At this time, we are unable to accept donations from private households or individuals due to quality control issues and potential contamination. Items collected will be distributed to the Regional Medical Response System. OSDH Hotline OSDH Website Guidance Documents Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) has put together documents that can be shared publicly through your agency. We appreciate your effort in communicating this message. COVID-19 Guidance for: Colleges and Universities Health Care Providers Home Care Businesses/Employers Public & Private Childcare Programs/K-12 Schools Public Health Laboratory Public Travel  Churches Restaurants Large Gatherings Travel Travel Outside U.S. English Travel Within U.S. English | Spanish Cruise Resources & Recommendations To find accurate information on COVID-19 that is regularly updated, please visit the Tulsa Health Department's COVID-19 webpage. THD Website Preventing COVID-19 Spread in Communities CDC Website Additional Helpful Information FAQS How does COVID-19 spread? How can I prevent COVID-19? More FAQs CDC Resources What To Do If You Are Sick | 3.25.2020 Resources for Hospitals and Healthcare Professionals Preparing for Patients with Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19 | 3.25.2020 Interim Guidelines for Collecting, Handling, and Testing Clinical Specimens from Persons for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) | 3.25.2020 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Burn Rate Calculator | 3.25.2020 Retirement Communities and Independent Living Facilities | 3.24.2020 Local Resources Oklahoma Office of Emergency Management Continuity of Operations Planning Guides 2-1-1 Eastern Oklahoma City of Tulsa Tulsa County State of Oklahoma Resources Meals4KidsOK Hunger Free Oklahoma Prevention Tips in American Sign Language THD FAQs for Food Establishments Mobile Food Units - COVID-19 Guidelines Posters/Handouts (please share) 10 Things You can Do to Manage Your Health At Home (English) Additional Languages: Arabic | Korean | Vietnamese | Zomi COVID-19 Symptoms  English | Spanish | Arabic | Korean | Vietnamese | Zomi Stop the Spread of Germs  English | Spanish | Arabic | Korean | Vietnamese | Zomi Social Posts (please share) Oklahoma State Department of Health: Oklahoma Response Keep ER for Essential Care English | Spanish Returning Travelers English | Spanish Preparing for the Spread of COVID-19 English | Spanish How to Protect Yourself English | Spanish How to Protect Others English | Spanish Mental Health Resource English | Spanish What is Community Spread English | Spanish Symptoms Comparison Chart English | Spanish Be a Hero, Stay at Home English Copyright © 2020 Tulsa Health Department, All rights reserved. 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