COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
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U.S. Department of Education
- The U.S. Department of Education (USDE), in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is offering free, rapid at-home COVID-19 tests to Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and support in-person learning during the upcoming respiratory virus season. LEAs can request these self-tests, which are easy to use, to distribute within their communities, and are encouraged to follow updated CDC guidance on preventing illness and promoting vaccination for students and staff.
Read the Joint Letter from Secretary Cardona and CDC Director Cohen re: Free COVID-19 Tests for LEAs here. (10/7/24)
NYSED
March 2024, The NYSED recommends that schools follow the updated NYSDOH Recommendations (March 7, 2024) and CDC Respiratory Virus Guidance (March 1, 2024) for COVID-19 prevention and to work with their Local Health Department if local cases are high. NYSED currently has no plans to issue additional specific school COVID-19 guidance.
The updated CDC guidance utilizes a unified approach to addressing risks from common respiratory viral illnesses, such as COVID-19, flu, and RSV. There are no changes to respiratory virus guidance for healthcare settings.
NYSDOH
On March 7, 2024, NYSDOH revised its guidance for when to stay home and when individuals can return to normal activities after respiratory infections, including COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in Non-Healthcare Settings.
Updated Recommendations (March 7, 2024)
Questions about this guidance may be addressed to the Bureau of Communicable Disease Control at bcdc@health.ny.gov or call 518-473-4439.
Address school-related questions by email to SchoolQuestionsCOVID@health.ny.govData in New York
This page monitors data on positive cases by geographic distribution, positive cases day by day, and other helpful reports.COVID-19 Prevention and Symptoms Webpage
Contact Information
Local County Health Departments
Local Health Department Websites and Phone Numbers by Counties ListingCDC Resources
- Respiratory Virus Guidance (March 2024)
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CDC Respiratory Virus Guidance Update FAQ (March 2024)
- Respiratory Virus Guidance Snapshot (March 2024)
Infographic that can be posted on core prevention and additional prevention strategies. - Personal Protective Equipment for the Public
Resources about personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect yourself from respiratory hazards in the community, including use and care of your mask. - No-Cost Covid Testing Locator
Please Note:
Schools and school districts are not required to report vaccination status or information by employed teachers or other staff as detailed in Executive Order 202.95 at this time. Requesting staff vaccine status is a labor-management decision at the local school district level. Districts should consult their attorneys. Individual employees should consult their union. If vaccine status or any other personal health information is provided directly by the school staff member, HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) is not involved. HIPAA protects patient health information from being disclosed without the patient's consent or knowledge by a healthcare provider. FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) protects student records and does not pertain to school staff.
Resources are provided for informational purposes and do not constitute or infer an endorsement of specific vendors or services by the NYSED|NYSCSH. NYSED|NYSCSH is not responsible for the content of the individual organization materials or external website links provided as resources.
Paged updated 10/7/24