Looking for information on MPX? Visit the LBDHHS MPX homepage, read our FAQ, or see the CDPH Exposure Recommendations (9/8/2022).
LBDHHS: Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services
CDPH: California Department of Public Health
- CA Safe Schools for All Parent Page – State of California-run website. Provides parents with resources and information on COVID-19 safety
- Guidance for Local Health Jurisdiction on Isolation and Quarantine of the General Public – (Updated 11/9/2022)
- – (Updated 9/20/2022)
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CDPH Face Coverings Q&A – (Updated 9/29/2022)
- California Department of Social Services (CDSS) COVID-19 Parent Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – (Español, 한국어, 中文, Tiếng Việt)
CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Travel to and from the United States – (Updated 8/24/2022)
More Information
If you have questions or concerns about the early childhood education or K-12 guidance and recommendations, please contct your program or school administrator. If you would like to report issues or have further questions you can contact the health department at covid19edu@longbeach.gov.
When to Report
COVID-19 reporting for early childhood education (ECE) programs, K-12 schools, and institutions of higher education (IHE) has shifted to require sites to notify local health departments when they meet the reporting threshold of three or more child, student, or staff cases of COVID-19 in the same setting (age group, class, grade, room number, sports team, club, dorm, etc.) within a 14-day period.
Use the drop down menu below to see more information on current guidance and specific reporting requirements for ECE programs, K-12 schools, and IHE.
How to Report
The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services has transitioned to SPOT (Shared Portal for Outbreak Tracking) the statewide COVID-19 reporting system.
SPOT allows Early Childhood Education (ECE) programs, K-12 schools, and Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) to send case information to California’s secure public health data management system called CalCONNECT, where Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (LBDHHS) can efficiently review reports and determine if additional guidance is needed.
Benefits of SPOT
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Expands California’s contact tracing and outbreak mitigation efforts by facilitating collaboration and sharing of information between ECE programs, K-12 schools, and IHE.
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Eliminates need to manually maintain cumulative case cluster/outbreak line lists as SPOT does this automatically.
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Allows for instant information sharing amongst your team as information submitted to SPOT can be viewed by all liaisons associated with the location.
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SPOT users can also send requests to edit case information or receive additional guidance directly to their assigned school investigator. Updates regarding your request will be automatically sent to your email.
COVID-19 Reporting Toolkit
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SPOT Account Setup - No New Cases to Report  |
Full COVID-19 Reporting Toolkit for ECE, K-12, and IHE |
One-Page SPOT Quick Guide. |
For additional questions or assistance using SPOT please contact Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services at (562) 570-4302 or covid19edu@longbeach.gov.
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Early Childhood Education (ECE) Programs
Current Guidance
Early Childhood Education (ECE) Programs must follow:
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California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Guidance for Childcare Providers and Programs – (Updated 10/21/2022)
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See also: CDPH Guidance for Child Care Providers and Programs: Questions & Answers– (Updated 7/22/2022)
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California Department of Social Services (CDSS)andCommunity Care Licensing (CCL) Provider Information Notices (PINs)
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See also: CDSS COVID-19 Licensed Child Care Facilities and Providers (FAQs)
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Stay Connected and Receive Updates from CCL by way of Provider Information Notices (PIN), Program Quarterly Update Newsletters, and other important department information
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CCL can be contacted directly at cclpedc@dss.ca.gov or (916) 651-6040
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California Department of Industrial Relations of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards – (Updated May 2022) – Details current requirements as a covered employer
- Any additional guidance provided by Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (LBDHHS)
Individual Reporting Requirements
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Licensed ECE programs* and license-exempt child care sites** are no longer required to report individual cases to LBDHHS unless the reporting threshold has been met.
Case Cluster/Outbreak Reporting Requirements
- Licensed ECE programs* and license-exempt child care sites** are required to notify LBDHHS when they meet the reporting threshold of three or more child, student, or staff cases of COVID-19 in the same setting (i.e., age group, teacher, and/or room number) within a 14-day period.All notifications should be reported online, through the secure web application SPOT (Shared Portal for Outbreak Tracking).
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Once the reporting threshold has been met, all individual cases linked to the case cluster are to be reported to LBDHHS until otherwise instructed.
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- Licensed ECE programs* and license-exempt child care sites** should maintain a line list of test dates, symptom onset dates, and setting location (i.e., age group and/or room number) for each case to monitor the threshold for reporting.
*Licensed ECE programs include child care centers and small and large family child care homes.
**License-exempt child care sites as defined by CDSS include non-licensed public and private non-profit programs that offer recreational services, businesses that offer limited childcare to their clients/customers, and programs overseen by state agencies other than Community Care Licensing.
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K-12 Schools
Current Guidance
K-12 schools must follow:
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California Department of Public Health (CDPH) COVID-19 Public Health Guidance for K-12 Schools to Support Safe In-Person Learning, 2022-2023 School Year – (Updated 9/30/2022)
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California Department of Industrial Relations of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards – (Updated May 2022) – Details current requirements as a covered employer
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Any additional guidance provided by Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (LBDHHS)
Individual Reporting Requirements
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K-12 schools are no longer required to report individual cases to LBDHHS unless the reporting threshold has been met.
Case Cluster/Outbreak Reporting Requirements
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K-12 schools are required to notify LBDHHS when they meet the reporting threshold of three or more child, student, or staff cases of COVID-19 in the same setting (i.e., grade, room number, class period, etc.) within a 14-day period.
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Once the reporting threshold has been met, all individual cases linked to the case cluster are to be reported to LBDHHS until otherwise instructed.
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K-12 schools should maintain a line list of test dates, symptom onset dates, and setting location (i.e., grade, room number, class period etc.) for each case to monitor the threshold for reporting.
- All notifications should be reported online, through the secure web application SPOT (Shared Portal for Outbreak Tracking).
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Institutions of Higher Education (IHE)
Current Guidance
Institutions of higher education (IHE) must follow:
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California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Guidance for the Use of Face Masks – (Updated 9/20/2022)
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California Department of Industrial Relations of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards – (Updated May 2022) – Details current requirements as a covered employer
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Any additional guidance provided by Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (LBDHHS)
Individual Reporting Requirements
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Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) are no longer required to report individual cases to LBDHHS unless the reporting threshold has been met.
Case Cluster/Outbreak Reporting Requirements
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IHE are required to notify LBDHHS when they meet the reporting threshold of three or more student, or staff cases of COVID-19 in the same setting (i.e., same class, dorm, club, sports team, etc.) within a 14-day period.
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Once the reporting threshold has been met, all individual cases linked to the case cluster are to be reported to LBDHHS until otherwise instructed.
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IHE should maintain a line list of test dates, symptom onset dates, and setting location (i.e., class, dorm, club, sports team, etc.) for each case to monitor the threshold for reporting.
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All notifications should be reported online, through the secure web application SPOT (Shared Portal for Outbreak Tracking).
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Additional Resources
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CA Safe Schools for All Hub: State of California run website. Consolidates key resources and information to support safe, in-person learning and mitigate the spread of COVID-19. New resources added on a routine basis.
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Safely Opening Schools (SOS) Downloadable Flyers: SOS is a Program of the Public Health Institute and partners with the California Department of Public Health
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LBDHHS Early Childhood Education Program and K-12 School Isolation and Quarantine Decision Trees
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Using SPOT for the First Time
New User with No New Cases to Report
1. If you don’t have cases to report but would like to get your SPOT account set up, please send an email to covid19edu@longbeach.gov with the following information:LBDHHS will register you as a new SPOT user.
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- Your Name
- Your job title
- Your email
- The location(s) you will be reporting for
2. Once registered, you will receive a welcome email with your user name (your email + “.spot”) and a link to reset your password – this link expires in 7 days and can only be used once.
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- If your link has expired email covid19edu@longbeach.gov to request another.
3. Open the link and create a password for your account.
4. Once you have chosen a password you will then be prompted to log in with your username (your email + “.spot”) and newly created password.
5. You are now registered as a SPOT user! When you do have cases to report do not submit a SPOT Intake form - from now on, click the ”Existing Users” button and log in to report new cases or view submitted information for your location(s).
To view the corresponding screenshots for these instructions, as well as walkthroughs for new users with cases to report and existing users reporting new cases, download the full COVID-19 Reporting Toolkit.
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One Page SPOT Quick Guide
Download the one page SPOT Reporting Quick Guide for ECE, K-12, and IHE -
Video Tutorials
SPOT Demo for School Liaisons
Ten-minute video demonstrating how to use SPOT as an existing user.
Getting Started Using SPOT
Export Data
Report Cases and Contacts
Summary Dashboards
View Locations and Exposures
Bulk Upload
Send a General Update
Help and Support
Reporting Cases with the SPOT Intake Form
Five-minute video demonstrating how to report COVID-19 cases with the SPOT Intake Form.
SPOT Bulk Data Upload (Existing Users)
Four-minute video demonstrating how to use the SPOT Bulk Upload functionality within SPOT.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Question: I don’t have any cases to report, but I’d like to get set up with my SPOT account so that I’m ready when I do. How do I do that?
Answer: To set up your SPOT account without reporting cases follow the instructions in the New User with No New Cases to Report section of the toolkit.
Question: I may have a case cluster or outbreak but I’m not sure. How can I request additional guidance and/or keep my assigned investigator informed on the situation?
Answer: If you are sending an update on the location itself follow the steps in the Sending a General Update to LBDHHS section of the COVID-19 Reporting Toolkit.
If you are alerting your investigator about a case’s possible connection to an existing cluster, follow the steps in the Sending Updates on Existing Cases section of the COVID-19 Reporting Toolkit.
You will be automatically notified when your assigned school investigator reviews the requested update and again once it is completed. LBDHHS will reach out soon (typically within 1 business day) if additional guidance was requested.
Question: I have more cases to report for an existing outbreak. How do I make sure my assigned investigator is aware that they are linked?
Answer: To report additional cases for an existing case cluster, follow the steps in the Reporting as an Existing User section of the COVID-19 Reporting Toolkit or the Report Cases and Contacts section of the video tutorial, inputting a note in the Notes field for any case(s) that may be associated with an existing case cluster.
If you prefer filling out a line list to submit cases, you can submit a Bulk Upload instead. Instructions on how to send a Bulk Upload are available in the toolkit and in video tutorial form. Bulk Uploads do not have a notes field, so if using this reporting method be sure to send a general update to LBDHHS as well.
If you submitted additional cases via Bulk Upload or did not add a message in the Notes section when reporting additional cases one-by-one, use the Send Update feature for the location to alert your assigned investigator that newly reported cases are linked to an existing case cluster. Step-by-step guides on how to send updates can be found in the toolkit as well as in video tutorial format.
Question: Oops! I mistyped a birthdate/misspelled a name. Can I edit submitted case information?
Answer: Cases cannot be edited once they are submitted; however, you can submit a SPOT Update for an Existing Case to request that your assigned investigator correct any incorrect or updated case information.
You will be automatically notified when your assigned school investigator reviews the requested update and again once it is completed.
Question: Can I submit a Bulk Upload when reporting less than 10 cases?
Answer: Yes, you can submit a Bulk Upload for any number of cases, even just one.
Keep in mind though that Bulk Uploads require processing by LBDHHS. This means that users linked to the location in SPOT (including yourself) will not be able to see submitted case information until your assigned investigator reviews and processes the Bulk Upload. Processing typically occurs within 1 business day.
Question: Can I submit a Bulk Upload without logging in?
Answer: Currently only registered, signed-in SPOT users can submit Bulk Uploads.
