All NYSAIS Member Schools have access to the dedicated COVID-19 Microsite.
General Resources & Travel Restrictions
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website. This is probably the best U.S. site on the virus. It covers symptoms and diagnosis, transmission, and prevention and treatment. It also has travel updates.
- New York State Department of Health website.
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene website. They also detail any relevant information from the New York City Department of Education.
- Find your local health department and their website here. This will provide you with the best, most up-to-date information for your county.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) website. This site has general information on the coronaviruses, a video, and an infographic about preventing the spread of viruses.
- U.S. State Department website. All schools look to this site when they are taking school trips as a basic risk management step. Note: The State Department has issued a Level 3 (reconsider travel) advisory for China and a Level 4 (do not travel) for Hubei Province.
- The U.S. Embassy in China and the U.S. State Department Overseas Security Advisory Council websites. These resources are especially valuable if your school has community members who have travel plans to China.
- Guidance from higher ed associations: American College Health Association’s pandemic guidelines, helpful insight from Inside Higher Ed, and Johns Hopkins’ interactive map of the outbreak.
- Johns Hopkins Interactive and Updating Outbreak Map
- NAIS Coronavirus Resource Page
- Joffe Emergency Services: Coronavirus Frequently Asked Questions, including those related to international travel, prevention, and community safety.
- Fisher Phillips: Independent schools frequently asked questions and 10 point action plan
- Fisher Phillips: Comprehensive FAQs for Employers on the COVID-19 Coronavirus
- NAIS: Additional Coronavirus Guidance for Schools
Preparation Resources
- Scientific America: Preparing for Coronavirus to Strike the US
- NPR: How to Prepare Your Home for Corona Virus
- CDC: Pandemic Flu Checklist
- CDC: Interim Guidance for Schools during COVID-19 Outbreak. Includes specific guidance for schools before and after their areas are identified as having an outbreak.
Business Continuity
- NBOA: Risk and Compliance: Developing a Business Continuity Plan
- Ari Betof: Coronavirus: 5 Steps Colleges and Independent Schools Should Take Now
- From McKinsey: COVID-19 Implications for Businesses. Lays out the three most likely scenarios and outlines steps businesses should be considering, including ensuring financial liquidity sufficient to weather the storm.
- From Harvard Business Review: How the Coronavirus Could Impact the Global Supply Chain by Mid-March. Discusses the wider global effects of the virus on the global economy, including on regular goods that will impact the efficient operations of other industries.
- Joffe Emergency Services: Key Considerations and Planning Questions for Business Continuity
Pandemic Planning
- Center for Disease Control: Get Your School Ready for Pandemic Flu
- Schools and Childcare Centers Planning. Aimed primarily at schools and childcare centers focused on pandemic flu planning.
- School Guidance Illinois Department of Education A thorough toolkit approach, complete with checklists and helpful direction.
- American College Health Association pandemic guidelines
Talking with Kids
- NPR: Just for Kids: A Comic Exploring the New Coronavirus
- Child Mind: Talking to Kids About the Coronavirus
- New York Times: How to Talk to Kids About Coronavirus
- USA Today: How Do You Talk to Your Children About Coronavirus?
- American Psychological Association: How to Talk to Kids About Difficult News
- Common Sense Media: Explaining the News to Our Kids
Communications
- Fisher Phillips: The Coronavirus Email HR Will be Sending the CEO. Includes an overview of helpful internal policies, communications considerations, and safety steps.
- Blackbaud: Six Crisis Communication Tips for Heads of School
- Communication Guidelines for Coronavirus via the Jane Group
- Communicating about Coronavirus with your Independent School Community: FAQs and Sample Language
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
- Teaching Tolerance: Speaking Up Against Racism Around the New Coronavirus
- The Science Of Why Coronavirus Exposes Racism And Xenophobia
- Know the facts about Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and help stop the spread of rumors
Association Pages
Public information on association websites to collect information for members.