Official website of NYS Governor, Andrew M. Cuomo. Provides current information on the NYS COVID-19 response, news releases, executive orders and breakdown of cases by county. Email subscription is available to provide/ daily updates to your inbox.

Universal SARS-CoV-2 testing of all students and staff in school settings has not been systematically studied. It is not known if testing in school settings provides any additional reduction in person-to-person transmission of the virus beyond what would be expected with the implementation of other infection preventive measures (e.g., social distancing, cloth face covering, hand washing, enhanced cleaning and disinfecting). Therefore, CDC does not recommend universal testing of all students and staff. Implementation of a universal approach to testing in schools may pose challenges, such as the lack of infrastructure to support routine testing and follow up in the school setting, unknown acceptability of this testing approach among students, parents, and staff, lack of dedicated resources, practical considerations related to testing minors and potential disruption in the educational environment.

Consistent with CDC’s recommendations, individuals with COVID-19 signs or symptoms should be referred to a healthcare provider for evaluation on whether testing is needed. In some locations, individuals can also visit their state, tribal, territorial or local health department’s website to look for the latest local information on testing.

Read the entire document here.

K-12 Schools Readiness and Planning Tool (RAP Tool) is available online on the Considerations for Schools page.

This tool aligns with the Considerations for Schools, and includes the following:

• General Readiness Assessment
• Daily/Weekly Readiness Assessment
• Preparing for if Someone Gets Sick
• Special Considerations and Resources

School administrators may review and complete the general readiness assessment while working with state, local, tribal, territorial, or federal officials when making initial preparations to promote healthy behaviors, environments, and operations that reduce the spread of COVID-19. The daily/weekly readiness assessment can be used to monitor recommended practices. Planning tools are also included to help school administrators prepare to respond if someone gets sick and to identify special considerations specific to their school community.

Page updated 7/10/2020

This Interim Guidance for Child Care and Day Camp Programs during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (“Interim COVID-19 Guidance for Child Care and Day Camp Programs”) was created to provide owners/operators of child care and day camp programs and their employees, parents/guardians and visitors with precautions to help protect against the spread of COVID-19.

Note: This guidance applies only to day child care and camp programs. It does not include overnight child care and camp programs, which are not authorized to operate at this time, nor is intended for schools. It may however be a useful resource for schools in developing school plans for re-entry.

• Guidance for Child Care and Day Camp Programs (6/8/20)  Note: The page date automatically updates to the current date when opened
• Summary of Guidance for Child Care and Day Camp Programs (6/8/20)

On May 1, 2020, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced that all K-12 schools statewide will remain closed for the rest of the academic year and continue to provide distance learning during that time. On June 5, 2020, Governor Cuomo issued Executive Order 202.37, which provided that “[n]otwithstanding any prior Executive Order to the contrary, special education services and instruction required under Federal, state or local laws, rules, or regulations, may be provided in person for the summer term in school districts. Any district providing such services in person must follow State and Federal guidance.” Read the entire memo on the NYSDOH website here.

This FAQ was updated on 5/03/20 to include additional information about the administration of peak flow meters in school settings.

This interim guidance is intended to inform employers as restrictions on private and public sector activities are scaled back in different regions of the state throughout the COVID-19 public health emergency. This guidance is not intended for health care or nursing home professionals, which have separate protocols and guidance for staff to return to work. Specifically, this guidance provides protocols and policies for employees seeking to return to work after a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 or after the employee had close or proximate contact with a person with COVID-19.