COVID-19 Updates & Guidelines

Guidance from April 2024

Since March of 2020, we have been following the COVID guidelines outlined by the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH). At times, they have been challenging to translate to our population of families with children under the age of 5.

Last week, the PDPH released the most updated guidelines, and this new guidance aligns with the guidelines released from the CDC a few weeks ago. Please note that for the first time in four+ years, we are at a place that COVID is being treated like other respiratory illnesses.  

At PIC the following new guidance is in place:

1. We ask all children and staff members to stay home if they have respiratory virus symptoms that aren't better explained by another cause and to wait for at least 24-hours after symptoms improve to return. These symptoms can include fever*, chills, fatigue, cough, runny nose, and headache, among others. *Children must be fever-free without use of fever-reducing medication for at least 24 hours to return. 
2. Children will be sent home from PIC if they have a fever, vomiting, more than two loose stools, and/ or cannot participate in normal daily activities due to being unwell. 
3. Children and staff members must be symptom-free without the use of fever-reducing medication for at least 24 hours to return after testing positive for COVID. 
4. It is recommended by the CDC to isolate after testing positive until you are fever-free and symptoms are improving, and to follow extra precautions for 5 days after you are fever-free and symptoms are improving (including if you are asymptomatic). Added precautions include wearing a mask, frequent handwashing, etc. We encourage those who are able to follow the CDC recommendations of extra precautions to do so.
5. We will continue to provide masks at PIC. 
6. We will continue to follow precautions such as frequent hand washing, teaching children how to cover their cough, and using HEPA air purifiers.  
7. We will continue to notify families if there are COVID cases in the classroom. 

Please reach out to Jessica Carter at jcarter@parentinfantcenter.org with any questions.