Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19

PROTOCOLS FOR STAFF AND STUDENTS TO ATTEND SCHOOL IN-PERSON

What criteria are required for staff and students to attend school in-person?

The District requires all staff and students to complete a daily health screening questionnaire. If all responses to the questionnaire are NO, the student or staff member may attend school in-person that day. If any responses to the questionnaire are YES, the student or staff member needs to stay home and contact the school for further review of the individual’s circumstances.

The New York State Department of Health provides a flowchart regarding protocols for staff and students which can be viewed HERE.

Why are the daily health screening questionnaires important?

The daily health screening questionnaires completed by students and staff are essential to keeping our community healthy and our buildings safe. We rely on responses to each question being thoughtful and honest each day.

We share the following scenarios with you based on circumstances that have happened within our District (with details changed to protect confidentiality). In all cases the person involved did not knowingly put the District at risk; there was no malice. However, by ignoring the purpose of the screening protocol a significant number of people were impacted by having to quarantine due to exposure.

STUDENT SCENARIO: Sally (elementary student) and Jimmy (middle school student) are siblings. Both had brief cold symptoms over a long weekend and were tested. By Monday all of the symptoms had improved. Both children’s screening questionnaires indicated “NO” to the questions of having had recent symptoms OR having been tested. The family attended school for three days before the positive COVID test results were returned unwittingly exposing their teachers, school staff and fellow students to COVID resulting in 93 quarantines. USE THE DAILY SCREENING QUESTIONNAIRE AS A MEANS TO KEEP COVID OUT OF OUR SCHOOLS. IN THIS CASE THE KIDS WERE ATTENDING SCHOOL WHILE THEY WERE INFECTIOUS TO INCLUDE THE TWO DAYS PRIOR TO SYMPTOMS DEVELOPING AND ALL OF THE DAYS THAT FOLLOWED. THE LONGER IT TAKES TO ISOLATE POSITIVE CASES THE MORE THE VIRUS CAN SPREAD.

STAFF AND STUDENT SCENARIO: Barbara had a cough on Friday but felt a strong commitment to attend work and did so. She was tested after her shift and stayed home on Monday; she still had symptoms and was also awaiting her test results. Barbara has three children. None of the three kids had symptoms Monday morning and they attended school. That evening all three of the kids developed symptoms and were tested. In the end Barbara and her three children tested positive for COVID resulting in 89 quarantines. WHILE NYS DOES NOT REQUIRE THAT PEOPLE LIVING IN THE HOUSE QUARANTINE WHILE AN INDIVIDUAL IS AWAITING COVID TEST RESULTS, WE DO ENCOURAGE CONSIDERATION OF THIS ACTION AND CONSULTATION WITH YOUR MEDICAL PROVIDER, PARTICULARLY IF THE TEST IS PERFORMED TO RULE OUT COVID.

QUARANTINE REQUIREMENTS FOR EXPOSURE TO COVID-19

If I’ve been notified by the school my child has been in contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19, what should I do?

Follow the direction of the school personnel who contacted you, and the county health department personnel who will be following up with you. Please be patient when waiting for the county health department to contact you, and trust the information our school personnel have provided. You are receiving this notification based upon the school’s contact tracing protocol.

The Onondaga County Health Department recommends that you reach out to your health care provider for any specific guidance related to your child’s health status, and they also recommend that you review the requirements for isolation/quarantine HERE

If I’ve been notified by the county health department my child has been in contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19, what should I do?

Follow all directions of the county health department personnel you were contacted by, notify the school of your child’s quarantine status, and forward the quarantine notice you receive from the county health department.

If I’ve been notified by someone my child has been in contact with that they have tested positive for COVID-19, what should I do?

1) Think back to the last time your child had contact with this person.

2) Was your child in close contact or proximal contact with this person during their infectious period?

● Close contact is less than 6 feet for more than 15 minutes within 48 hours of (a) the individual’s asymptomatic test OR (b) the individual’s start of symptoms.

● Proximal contact is more than 6 feet but in the same room for an extended period of time within 48 hours of (a) the individual’s asymptomatic test OR (b) the individual’s start of symptoms.

3) Thoughtfully consider the circumstances of the situation when answering the questions on the daily health screening questionnaire. If YES is answered, please keep your child home from school and notify your child’s school of the potential exposure.

Are there any other ways people are contacted about a potential exposure?

Yes. One way you can help yourself, your family, and your community is by participating in the mobile contact tracing app COVID Alert NY. Download the free app to your smartphone to receive an alert if you have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

COVID Alert NY is a voluntary, anonymous, exposure-notification smartphone app. The app is available to anyone 18 or older who lives, works, or attends college in New York or New Jersey and is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Bengali, Korean, Russian and Haitian Creole.

You will get an alert if you were in close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19. Knowing about a potential exposure allows you to self-quarantine immediately, get tested and reduce the potential exposure risk to your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers and others. The more people who download COVID Alert NY, the more effective it will be.

What is required of someone needing to quarantine?

You can find a sample of the Onondaga County Health Commissioner's Quarantine Orders HERE. You will receive a phone call from the county health department and an official quarantine order similar to the one in the sample provided. The Onondaga County Health Department recommends that you reach out to your health care provider for any specific guidance related to your child’s health status.

We are committed to supporting you and your child throughout the quarantine period. Your child is expected to engage in and complete remote lessons/assignments daily, as provided by your child’s teacher. Please report any absences from remote learning to our attendance office as you would if your child were absent from in-person instruction.

What is the difference between isolation and quarantine?

Isolation is a term used to describe the action that needs to occur when an individual tests positive for COVID-19.

Quarantine is a term used to describe the action that needs to occur when someone has been identified by the county health department as a contact of another individual who has tested positive for COVID-19.

How long does someone who has been exposed to COVID-19 need to quarantine?

Consistent with recent CDC guidance, quarantine for individuals exposed to COVID-19 can end after 10 days without a test if no symptoms have been reported during the quarantine period. Individuals must continue daily symptom monitoring through day 14 and strictly adhere to all recommended non-pharmaceutical interventions, including hand hygiene and the use of face coverings, through day 14. If any symptoms develop, the individual should immediately self-isolate and contact the local public health authority or their healthcare provider to report this change in clinical status and determine if they should seek testing.

What if a student or staff member was placed under quarantine when the requirement was 14 days?

The new 10 day quarantine period also applies to any individuals placed under quarantine when the requirement was 14 days. The county health department will issue an updated release only at the request of an individual. If this applies to you, it is recommended that you please contact the county health department using your daily SMS message to request a call. This will prompt a contact tracer to call you, manually update the quarantine time frame, and send you an updated release notice. It is expected that all symptom monitoring requirements are met and all recommended non-pharmaceutical interventions are followed.

ASYMPTOMATIC TESTING AT SCHOOL SITES

How are the tests administered?

The test kits that Onondaga County has available at this time are minimally-invasive, nasal swab rapid tests, which produce results in 15 minutes. The swab is placed in the lower part of the nose. The BinaxNOW test is much less invasive than the deep nasopharyngeal swabs performed at many medical facilities. The method for this particular test is to gently insert the swab into the lower part of each nostril (just half to one inch), swirl and repeat in the second nostril. A video of how this type of test is administered can be viewed HERE.

Who administers the tests?

The District has partnered with Onondaga County to complete asymptomatic testing in our schools. Our school nurses play an integral role in the testing that occurs, and Onondaga County sends trained medical personnel to assist. Our school staff are always present when testing occurs to verify registration.

Does the District need permission from parents and guardians to test children?

Yes, permission, as well as consent will be acknowledged when a parent/guardian registers a child for testing using the Onondaga County Health Department registration link.

In which scenarios below is it OK to use asymptomatic testing?

Left school with a runny nose and headache. The next day all symptoms are gone.
Have mild symptoms but you know they are related to something other than COVID.
Were exposed to someone, are now in quarantine, you have no symptoms but want to know your COVID status.

ANSWER: NONE! All of these scenarios should be tested at symptomatic sites or exposure sites in order to keep everyone around them safe. Please do not expose the workers, and others taking advantage of asymptomatic testing, to your situation.

If I give permission for my child to be tested, will he or she be tested every week?

No. Students may be tested more than once when asymptomatic testing is offered in our schools, but they will not be tested every week. The goal is for a new group of students and staff to be tested, and for the testing to be random. Registration links will be sent prior to all testing opportunities and parents/guardians will be required to provide permission each time their child is tested.

Can remote students attend school-based testing?

No. Only students who are attending school in-person will be tested, according to the state guidelines. If you would like to have your remote student tested, please use one of the community test sites established by the Onondaga County Health Department.

When during the school day is testing administered?

Testing will occur during the school day, rotating through students and staff who have registered. Although registrants will select an appointment time when registering, the appointment time is only used to hold a test for the person registered. The tests take approximately 30 seconds to 1 minute to complete.

Is there a cost for the test?

No. The tests are being provided free of charge by Onondaga County and New York State.

Can parents accompany their children during the test?

Not at this time. Our visitor policy is still in effect at all of our schools.

If I don’t give permission for my child to be tested, will he or she be allowed to attend school in-person?

Students will be able to stay in their in-person classes if they decline asymptomatic testing. However, students must still be tested outside of school if they present with COVID-19 symptoms at any time.

What happens if my child tests positive during asymptomatic school-based testing?

1 - You will be notified by school personnel and should immediately pick your child up from school. Your child should then immediately isolate. All individuals living in the household should also immediately self-quarantine.

2 - You will need to notify anyone your child has been in contact with of the exposure. You will identify these same contacts to the case investigator with the health department when they call you.

● Close contact is less than 6 feet for more than 15 minutes within 48 hours of (a) the

individual’s asymptomatic test OR (b) the individual’s start of symptoms.

● Proximal contact is more than 6 feet but in the same room for an extended period of time

within 48 hours of (a) the individual’s asymptomatic test OR (b) the individual’s start of

Symptoms.

3 - Follow all directions of the county health department personnel you were contacted by. If you opt-in to the daily text messages, report symptoms accurately each day. Use the text message as an opportunity to communicate daily with the health department. You can review the requirements for isolation/quarantine HERE.

4 - Provide the district with all documentation you receive from the county, including isolation notices / releases for your child, as well as quarantine notices / releases for any school-aged siblings attending schools within the district.

COMMUNITY TESTING SITES IN ONONDAGA COUNTY

Where can I have my child tested?

You should contact your medical provider to review your child’s health status. Your provider may recommend testing at their office, at a local urgent care center, or through the Onondaga County Health Department. Onondaga County has established testing sites throughout the community. Sites have been posted on the covid19.ongov.net website, which is updated regularly as new sites become available or sites change.

Please note there are sites posted for both asymptomatic testing and symptomatic/exposure testing. If you have symptoms or are being tested due to a potential exposure, use a symptomatic/exposure test site. Please do not expose the workers, and others taking advantage of asymptomatic testing, to your situation.

What happens if my child tests positive through a test administered at a physician’s office or at a community test site?

1 - You will be notified by the physician’s office or the community test site and should immediately isolate your child. All individuals living in the household should also immediately self-quarantine.

● Onondaga County plans to communicate positive test results via text message. The text message will come from 833-634-1564 and will contain a link for you to visit. When visiting this link, you will complete the initial step of providing case investigators with information. A case investigator from the health department will call to follow-up with you.

2 - You will need to notify your child’s school of the positive test result and provide documentation of the result. You will also need to notify anyone your child has been in contact with of the exposure. You will identify these same contacts to the case investigator with the health department when they call you.

● Close contact is less than 6 feet for more than 15 minutes within 48 hours of (a) the

individual’s asymptomatic test OR (b) the individual’s start of symptoms.

● Proximal contact is more than 6 feet but in the same room for an extended period of time

within 48 hours of (a) the individual’s asymptomatic test OR (b) the individual’s start of

Symptoms.

MICRO-CLUSTER ZONES

Who decides which schools are located in a micro-cluster zone?

Governor Cuomo implemented a cluster action initiative to address COVID-19 hot spots as they occur. The initiative divides clusters and the areas around them into three categories - the cluster itself (red zone), a warning zone (orange zone), and a precautionary zone (yellow zone). The New York State Department of Health closely monitors data related to these zones and the rules and restrictions enacted when an area enters a zone are aimed to prevent further community-wide transmission of the virus.

Do we have any schools currently in a micro-cluster zone designated by New York State?

As of January 1, 2021, according to the governor’s mostly recently posted information, the “yellow zone” micro-cluster designation only impacts school buildings in the town of Lysander at this time. Those buildings are C.W. Baker High School, Durgee Junior High School, Elden Elementary School and Palmer Elementary School. You can look up micro-cluster zones by address HERE.

Who in our District will be tested based on our current designation(s)?

By partnering with Onondaga County, the district was able to meet the testing requirements of testing 20 percent of the in-person population of staff and students at each of the four buildings in the yellow zone. The District met testing requirements for Palmer Elementary School and Elden Elementary School on November 18, 2020, and C.W. Baker High School and Durgee Junior High School on November 20, 2020.

While it was not required, the District and Onondaga County most recently partnered to offer asymptomatic testing to in-person staff and students in all eight buildings on December 16, 2020. The District and Onondaga County will continue to partner to offer asymptomatic testing in the future. Registration links will be sent prior to all testing opportunities and parents/guardians will be required to provide permission each time their child is tested.

What happens if the District is not able to reach testing requirements?

If the District is unable to test the required number of in-person staff and students at any school building designated within a micro-cluster zone, that building will be required to temporarily transfer to full remote instruction. If multiple school buildings are unable to meet testing requirements, the entire District could temporarily transition to remote instruction.