Resource Center

COVID Dashboard will be updated as we begin the 2023-2024 school year! 

Desert Heights strives to create a safe and supportive learning enviorment for its students and staff. If a parent has any questions, the parent can email COVID19concerns@dhschools.org. A district or campus based representative will follow up with the parent regarding the received report and continue contact tracing data collection. 

• Desert Heights Families, please report a COVID case in your household or family that will affect your student. 
• Desert Heights Staff, please report a positive COVID case. 

Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) has provided a helpful tool called the Home Isolation Decision Maker Tool. If you have questions about whether your child should isolate at home, this tool can help. 

The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) recently updated their COVID-19 isolation and quarantine guidance. Under the new guidance, students and staff who test positive for COVID-19 should isolate for 5 full days and may return to school after day 5 if they are fever free for 24 hours, have improved symptoms and are required to wear a mask for an additional 5 days. Quarantining for those that are exposed will be a personal choice unless student or staff is symptomatic. If student or staff is having flu or COVID-19 like symptoms, stay at home! 

• If you have tested positive for COVID-19 or have symptoms consistent with COVID-19, stay at home and follow the Home isolation guidance
• Email the school’s Covid Response Team at the following email address and wait for further guidance covid19concerns@dhschools.org
• If students or staff have been identified as a close contact or have been recently exposed to COVID-19, it is recommended that you take precautions.

Please review the information below “What to do if you were exposed to COVID-19"

Students having flu like or symptoms consistent with COVID-19, will be required to be picked up from school immediately. 

If you have tested positive or are showing symptoms of COVID-19, isolate immediately. 

About Being Exposed to COVID-19 

If you were exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19 or have been told by a healthcare provider or public health authority that you were exposed, here are the steps that you should take, regardless of your vaccination status or if you have had a previous infection. 

After Being Exposed to COVID-19 

START PRECAUTIONS 

• Immediately wear a mask as soon as you find out you were exposed 
• Start counting from Day 1 
  • Day 0 is the day of your last exposure to someone with COVID-19 
  • Day 1 is the first full day after your last exposure 

CONTINUE PRECAUTIONS 

• 10 Full Days 
• You can still develop COVID-19 up to 10 days after you have been exposed 

Watch for symptoms 

• fever (100.4°F or greater) 
• cough 
• shortness of breath 
• other COVID-19 symptoms 

If you develop symptoms 

• isolate immediately 
• get tested 
• stay home until you know the result 

If your test result is positive, follow the isolation recommendations, stay at home and contact the schools COVID response team at covid19concerns@dhschools.org

We encourage our families to use this site as a reference of different COVID-19 testing locations in Maricopa County. 

Arizona’s county health departments have been buying the BinaxNOW at-home testing kits and making them available to schools. Schools can ask their county health department for free test kits. Most counties (including Maricopa) have the BinaxNOW kits. In Maricopa County, schools can order these test kits through their School Resource Request Tool.

Desert Heights will provide BinaxNOW home self-testing kits to eligible students and staff, with Parent/Guardian written consent, while supplies last. The test is to be performed in the comfort of the Parent/Guardian home with adult supervision. Results come in about 15 minutes. Alternatively, in some cases, Health Center staff could do on-site testing (with parental consent).

Due to the overwhelming demand for COVID-19 rapid testing kits, the state is unable to provide schools with kits at this time. When enough kits become available, we will be provided with a small portion as supplies are available. As you might be well aware, these tests are difficult to acquire at the moment so thank you for your understanding and patience as we try to get a hold of more supplies and in making sure we get these out to facilities and eligible students and staff with immediate need.
You may also be eligible to get free at-⁠home COVID-⁠19 tests. Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order 4 free at-⁠home COVID-⁠19 tests. The tests are completely free. Orders will usually ship in 7-12 days. Order your tests now so you have them when you need them.
 

Read Desert Heights Safe Return to In Person Learning Plan here!