As you likely know, Gov. Gavin Newsom today announced a regional stay-at-home order that will impact many businesses and industries in San Diego County for at least three weeks, starting later this month. The order is applicable in multi-county regions where hospitals’ intensive care unit capacity has fallen below 15%.

San Diego County is in the Southern California Region, which also includes Imperial, Inyo, Los Angeles, Mono, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties.

We are still analyzing the order and awaiting specific details from the County of San Diego on what this means for our region, including when the order will go into effect locally.

The frequently asked questions webpage that accompanies the new order introduces confusion into the question of school operations. The language refers to schools that are already open for in-person learning being allowed to remain open, but it is presented within the context of “when a remote option is not possible.” We are seeking clarification at the state level about this language.

We understand your school community may have questions about the order and what it means for them. This template letter in English and Spanish provides a basic explanation of the order and explains that we are still awaiting further guidance. Once we have received that, we will revise the letter to include space to add specifics about your district’s or school’s plans.

I will share additional information when it is available. Until then, thank you for your flexibility as we adjust to these ever-changing conditions. 

email: paul.gothold@sdcoe.net