Reporting
The Placer County Public Health Division aligns with California Department of Public Health (CDPH) guidance and will not differ.
Reporting Information
As you are aware, AB86 required COVID-19 case reporting by K-12 schools and this requirement sunsetted on June 30, 2022. Placer County Public Health aligns with CDPH and as such, for the 2022/2023 academic school year, Placer County Public Health will no longer require K-12 schools to report every COVID-19 case. However, reporting of COVID-19 outbreaks to Placer County Public Health is expected, as with other communicable diseases.
As outlined in the current definition, a standardized K-12 school-associated COVID-19 outbreak is:
- At least 3 cases in a 14-day period within a specified core group, OR
- Multiple cases comprising at least 10% of students, teachers, or staff, within a specified core group.
For more information, please refer to the CA Safe Schools for All Hub.
Please note that the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Non-Emergency Regulations apply to staff, employees and volunteers testing positive for COVID-19.
Steps for Placer County schools when reporting confirmed COVID-19 cases:
Placer County utilizes the School Portal for Outbreak Tracking (SPOT) to gather information about school COVID-19 cases. To begin submitting the required information through the SPOT platform, you will first need to request access to SPOT. (If you previously have used SPOT, use the same account information to report applicable cases).
Requesting Access to SPOT
Step One: Complete the application (linked below) to submit a SPOT Intake Form.
- SPOT Intake Form (ENGLISH)
- SPOT Intake Form (SPANISH)
Note: While the completion of the application is the first step of reporting (thereby meeting the 24-hour requirement in place by CDPH), you will still need to submit case information via SPOT once you receive access to be fully compliant.
Step Two: Once you have submitted your request, the Placer County Case Investigation office will review your form and email you with next steps. The Placer County Case Investigation office is open Monday – Thursday from 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM. The office is closed on all county holidays. If you submit your account request over the weekend or on a county holiday, your request will be reviewed the next workday.
Using SPOT To Report COVID-19 Related Cases
Step One: Refer to the instructions in the email you received from the Placer County Case Investigation office and complete all required information for COVID-19 cases through SPOT.
Step Two: Complete contact tracing to identify close school contacts for the COVID-19 cases. You do not need to report close school contact information to Placer County Public Health.
Step Three: Continue to report each confirmed and presumed COVID-19 case through SPOT using the same account.
Reporting Thresholds
Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF) - The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) requires Skilled Nursing Facilities to report all confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases (residents and staff) to their local health department.
Assisted Living and Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFE) –The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) requires Assisted Living and residential Care Facilities (RCFE) to reported COVID-19 outbreaks to their local health department. In residential congregate settings an outbreak can be defined as at least three suspected, probable, or confirmed COVID-19 cases within a 14-day period among epidemiologically linked residents and/or staff. Please see PIN-23-04-CCLD for more information.
Steps for Placer County congregate facilities when reporting confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases:
Placer County utilizes the Shared Portal for Outbreak Tracking (SPOT) to gather information about congregate setting COVID-19 cases. To begin submitting the required information through the SPOT platform, you will first need to request access to SPOT. (If you previously have used SPOT, use the same account information to report applicable cases).
Requesting Access to SPOT
Step One: Complete the application (linked below) to submit a SPOT Intake Form.
- SPOT Intake Form (ENGLISH)
- SPOT Intake Form (SPANISH)
Note: While the completion of the application is the first step of reporting, you will still need to submit case information via SPOT once you receive access to be fully compliant.
Step Two: Once you have submitted your request, the Placer County Case Investigation office will review your form and email you with the next steps. The Placer County Case Investigation office is open Monday – Friday from 9 AM to 3 PM. The office is closed on all county holidays. If you submit your account request over the weekend or on a county holiday, your request will be reviewed the next workday.
Using SPOT To Report COVID-19 cases
Step One: Refer to the instructions in the email you received from the Placer County Case Investigation office and complete all required information for positive COVID-19 cases associated with the congregate setting facility through SPOT.
Step Two: Complete contact tracing for your facility to identify close contacts of the COVID-19 positive cases. You do not need to report close contact information to Placer County Public Health.
Step Three: Each additional COVID-19 case related to an exposure should be reported through SPOT.
Outbreak Reporting
On February 3rd, 2023, Cal/OSHA adopted the COVID-19 Prevention Non-Emergency Regulations. Employers are subject to follow the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Non-Emergency Regulations or in some workplaces the Cal/OSHA Aerosol Transmissible Disease standards.
Businesses in Placer County are no longer required to report outbreaks to Placer County Public Health but must report major outbreaks to Cal/OSHA. Major outbreaks are defined as 20 or more employee COVID-19 cases in an exposed group that visited the worksite during their infectious period within a 30-day period.
Please review the information below for additional information/assistance with Cal/OSHA requirements.
- Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention - Non-Emergency Standards
- Cal/OSHA Non-Emergency Regulations FAQs
- COVID-19 Prevention Non-Emergency Regulations – What Employers Need to Know
If you have additional questions related to the workplace and COVID-19, please contact Cal/OSHA for further guidance. If you are affiliated with a healthcare or congregate facility, please view those requirements here.