NEW YORK — With students set to return to class very soon, Governor Kathy Hochul (D) announced updated COVID-19 guidance for New York schools.
The new rules eliminate quarantining and most in-school COVID testing for students and staff members who may have been exposed to the virus.
"Since the early, uncertain days of the pandemic, New York schools, teachers and parents stepped up to ensure continued learning and a safe return to the classroom," Hochul said.
"Today, we are making sure that state and federal guidance is aligned so that students and educators can enter the classroom with confidence and have a safe, healthy school year. We're getting this information out to parents, and into schools, and making sure that our children are where they need to be this fall. We know there's no replacement for in-classroom learning, and we're going to make sure that this year is a very different year."
In most situations, instead of quarantining students and staff are recommended to wear a mask for 10 days following exposure, regardless of vaccination status, and get tested at least five days after exposure or if symptoms develop.
People are still recommended to stay home if they are sick. Testing for people who develop a cough, fever, or other signs of COVID-19 is recommended at the onset of symptoms. Those individuals are also advised to wait for COVID-19 test results and isolate.
Isolation for people who test positive may end in the following scenarios:
- If no symptoms, isolation may end after five days
- If symptomatic, isolation can end after five days if the person is fever free for 24 hours without medication and symptoms are improving
The state guidance adds that people who test positive should continue to wear a mask for 10 days following, even after ending isolation.
"Thanks to the heroic work of our educators, children across New York have been able to make a safe return to the classroom. This new guidance will give schools and districts more flexibility to continue providing in-person instruction as we head into the new school year. I thank the Governor for her leadership as we work together to keep our classrooms safe," said New York State Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett.
In a letter to school districts, the state health department lays out further info about the end of certain mitigation strategies describing this fall as a "new phase of the pandemic."
The state has also put together a Frequently Asked Questions sheet which lays out 21 inquiries that may be helpful for parents. Additional parent and caregiver documentation was also posted on the state department of health's website.
While most testing in school is ending, individual districts will have discretion when it comes to "close contact" environments like in chorus class, as Governor Hochul exemplified. Districts will define and dictate guidance to parents on their own accord or not at all.
The Governor added that students will be sent home with a testing kit at the start of the school year simply for convenience. Additionally, the state's Vax to School program will return this fall with future dates for child vaccination clinics set to be announced.