In-Person Camp COVID-19 Protocol

In-Person Program Coronavirus (COVID-19) Safety Protocol

Revised January 16, 2023

Dear Parents,

Bionerds prioritizes safety for all students, families, contract facility staff and our employees. Our COVID-19 health guidelines policy will follow current local, state, and federal guidelines.

FACILITY POLICY

Bionerds Tustin Classroom:
- Our HVAC filter in our unit was changed to a MERV13-equivalent one.
- Our classroom will be sanitized before, during, and after class using disinfectants. During non-class hours, the classroom and tools will be sanitized with handheld UV light as needed.
- The air in the room will be constantly purified with air purifiers to capture 99% of common airborne PM 2.5 pollutants.
For other facilities, we will follow their COVID-19 guidelines and policy that may be different from one site to another.

BIONERDS STAFF DAILY PROTOCOL

Bionerds staff is trained to follow guidelines implemented by the facility and information about COVID-19.
Face masks are optional for all employees unless facility require differently. However, anyone in class should feel free to wear a mask at any time. Disposable masks are available upon request.
6-ft distancing is no longer required in the classroom.
We will continue with our sanitizing procedure as before. The staff clean tables, desks, and lab equipment with disinfecting wipes before, during, and after class to minimize the spread of germs.
They will follow the same CDC guidelines as students to combat the spread of the virus:
- Wash their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds before, after, and during class.
- Use hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
- Cover mouth with tissue or elbow when coughing or sneezing.
- Avoid touching eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick with any illness.
- Teachers will stay at home when they are sick. A substitute teacher will be placed when available.

STUDENT DAILY PROTOCOL

A Bionerds waiver form will be sent to parents before class and required to be carefully filled out, signed & submitted BEFORE CLASS.
IF CHILD IS SHOWING ANY SIGNS OF ILLNESS, PLEASE DO NOT BRING THEM TO CLASS. Notify us by calling 949-288-1486 or emailing admin@bionerdsllc.com. Please be ready with a backup plan in case students must be picked up immediately or in the event the student showing any sick symptoms or has a fever of more than 100.4F or the class is canceled due to staff or participant test positive for COVID-19. The child will be isolated temporarily until the pick-up time.
Face masks are optional for all students. However, anyone in class should feel free to wear a mask at any time. Disposable masks are available upon request.
Students are encouraged to bring their own water bottles, snacks, sunscreen, mask, and hand sanitizers in a bag/backpack. We do not recommend sharing food and drink at this point during break time. Please label all of the personal belongings with the student’s name.
Parents or adult guardian must be on time for pick up and follow the facility site pickup procedure. Be patient and allow time for the pickup procedure. Students with a completed Going Home Slip will be allowed to leave the classroom at the end of class.

CLASSTIME PROTOCOL

Please read our Participant Code of Conduct here: https://www.bionerdsllc.com/index.php/participant-code-of-conduct/.
Staff and students should self-screen for symptoms of COVID-19 each morning before reporting to work or going to class. If a student is ill (flu, etc.), but tests negative for COVID-19, they may return to class as soon as they are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medications. For positive COVID-19 test result, see below.
During the break, students can eat their snacks and drink and play outside. We do not recommend sharing food and drink at this point with other students that are not in the same household.
Limited sharing equipment or tools in class are lifted.
Hand sanitizer in the classroom will be available. Please have students wash or sanitize their hands before and after class. We will take students to wash their hands during the break and class regularly.

No Bionerds laboratory coats will be worn in class at this point. Disposable arm sleeves protection may be worn as needed instead in class. Students should wear clothes that can get dirty/stained from dissections and during activity/craft time (such as sharpies, paints, markers, glue).

Students will be reminded in class to:

Wash their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds before class.
Use hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
Cover mouth with tissue or elbow when coughing or sneezing.
Avoid touching eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick with any illness.
Let a teacher know if they begin to feel sick during class.

Students who test positive for COVID-19 (regardless of vaccination status) should:

The students will contact Bionerds admin team at admin@bionerdsllc.com for next steps.
Stay at home (isolate) for a period of at least five days from a positive test.
Students may re-test after five days of isolation (or later). If the result of their re-test on day five (or later) is negative, the student may return to class assuming symptoms have subsided including being fever-free for at least 24 hours).
If students elect not to re-test, they must stay out for the full ten days since their initial positive test result or from the day symptoms began.
Follow current guidelines from:
- California Department of Public Health’s guidelines for schools: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/K-12-Guidance-2022-23-School-Year.aspx
- State of California COVID-19 guidelines: https://covid19.ca.gov/

Bionerds Staff who test positive or show COVID-19 symptoms (regardless of vaccination status):

Bionerds staff will contact the assigned Bionerds personnel for next steps.
Staff with COVID-19 symptoms will not return to work until all the following have occurred:
- At least five days have passed from the date that COVID-19 symptoms began or, if the person does not develop COVID-19 symptoms, from the date of the first positive COVID-19 test.
- At least 24 hours have passed since a fever of 100.4 or higher has resolved without the use of fever-reducing medications.
- COVID-19 symptoms have improved.
- If an employee elects not to test, at least 10 days have passed since COVID-19 symptoms first appeared.
COVID-19 tests may be self-administered and self-read only if the independent verification of the results can be provided – this may include a time-stamped photograph of the results.
Staff returning to work prior to 10 days after testing positive for COVID-19 may be asked to wear a mask for the full 10-day window.
Staff may re-test after five days of isolation (or later). If the result of their re-test on day five (or later) is negative, the staff member may return to work the following school day (assuming symptoms have subsided including being fever-free for at least 24 hours).
If the staff member elects not to re-test, they must stay out for the full ten days since their initial positive test result or from the day symptoms began.
A negative COVID-19 test will not be required for an employee to return to work.
If an order to isolate or quarantine an employee is issued by a local or state health official, the employee will not return to work until the period of isolation or quarantine is completed or the order is lifted. If no period was specified, then the period will be 10 days from the time the order to isolate was effective.

CLASSROOM SANITIZING PROTOCOL

Classrooms will be disinfected daily before, after use, and during classes. This includes high-touch areas such as tables, chairs, doorknobs, etc.
All tools (such as microscopes, craft tools, dissection tools, etc.) used within the class will be sanitized daily, between and during classes as needed.
Disinfectants used in our Bionerds Tustin facility are below (may change depending on supply availability). For our other contract facilities, please contact the facilities directly for more information.
- Clorox Wipes
- Bona PowerPlus Antibacterial Cleaner

For more information, please visit:

CDC COVID-19 website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.
State of California COVID-19 guidelines: https://covid19.ca.gov/
California Department of Public Health’s guidelines for schools: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/K-12-Guidance-2022-23-School-Year.aspx
Orange County Department of Education’s Newsroom: https://newsroom.ocde.us/coronavirus-update/

Please let us know if you have any questions. Thank you for working together with us to provide a safe and fun environment for your families and our staff.

Bionerds Team

www.BionerdsLLC.com

949-288-1486