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DOE Fall 2022 COVID-19 Guidance

Vaccination: Vaccination is the best way to reduce COVID-19 risk. Vaccination is highly encouraged. 
 
Vaccination Requirements:
  • ⚠️Vaccination is still required for all visitors entering school buildings
  • Vaccination is still required for all DOE employees
  • Vaccination is still required for other individuals who work in DOE buildings
  • Vaccinations are still required to participate in high-risk extracurricular activities including high-risk PSAL sports.
  • 📌Daily Health Screener:
    • No longer required to enter school buildings 
  • Stay home if sick: Students and staff should stay home if they show any symptoms of COVID-19 or other illnesses and get tested for COVID-19. 
Isolate if COVID-19 positive: 
Students and staff who test positive for COVID-19 must be isolated for 5 days and can return to school on day 6 if they have no symptoms or symptoms are improving. They must wear mask until day 10 after symptom onset or date of positive test, whichever is earlier.
  • These cases should be reported to the school so they can be reported into the sit room for exposure notifications.
  • Get tested if exposed to COVID-19: Students and staff who are exposed to COVID-19 should get tested.
    • These individuals should receive home tests from their school and take two tests, at least 24 hours apart on day 4 and day 5 of their exposure. All exposed individuals should be monitored for fever and other COVID-19 symptoms for 10 days after their exposure. If symptoms begin, they should not attend school and should isolate and get tested for COVID-19 again right away.
Testing:
  • Starting the first day of school, schools will offer home test kits to those with a potential in-school exposure and those with symptoms
  • In addition, each staff and student will receive 4 tests per month to take home. These tests can be used by school families for testing due to symptoms, exposures, high-risk activity (such as travel and large gatherings) and can give staff and students immediate results.
  • In-school PCR surveillance testing will not be a part of the 2022-23 school year.
 
Situation Room:
  • Schools will be required to report positive cases of COVID-19 to the situation room.
  • The Situation Room will provide schools with standardized communications for their communities and will notify school communities of cases in their schools through daily email and the Daily COVID map. 
Masking- Face coverings are strongly recommended to be worn when indoors. 
🔔Masks will be made available at the school for all those who need/want them.
 
  • Students and staff, regardless of vaccination status, are required to wear a mask when:
    • Returning to school on the sixth day after testing positive for COVID-19, through day 10 after symptom onset or date of positive test, whichever is earlier, including when traveling on a school bus.
    • Entering the school medical room, nurse’s office, or school-based health center.
    • Exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 at school.
  • Students and staff, regardless of vaccination status, are strongly recommended to wear a mask:
    • When they were exposed to someone with COVID-19, whether the exposure occurred in school or outside of school. The person should wear a mask for 10 days after their last day of exposure and get tested at least 24 hours apart on day 4 and day 5 of their exposure.
    • When they are moderately-to-severely immunocompromised, and masking is recommended by their healthcare provider.
    • In crowded indoor settings 

Get Tested

Rapid Testing at Home

Schools are distributing free, take-home COVID-19 rapid test kits to any students or staff who exhibit COVID-like symptoms or have been in a classroom where a positive case has been identified. Anyone who tests positive on a take-home test should immediately report it to the school and begin isolating. No proof of a negative result is required in order for these students to enter the school building. 

Find a COVID-19 Testing Site

All New York City students and staff members are strongly encouraged to get tested. Working in partnership with the Test+Trace Corps, families and staff members can go to any City-run testing sites to get tested or pick up readily available at-home rapid tests.

 

Get Vaccinated

      • We strongly encourage the COVID-19 vaccination for all age-eligible students.

All DOE students and staff who participate in high-risk PSAL sports or competitive afterschool sports must be vaccinated against COVID-19. “Fully vaccinated” means at least two weeks have passed after an individual received a single dose of a vaccine that requires only one dose or the second dose in a two-dose series of a COVID-19 vaccine authorized for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or the World Health Organization.

A COVID-19 vaccination requirement also applies to students participating in high-risk after school extracurricular activities like chorus, musical theater, dance/dance team, band/orchestra (with concern for woodwinds), marching band, cheerleading/step teams/flag team. Students ages five and up must be vaccinated in order to participate in these extracurricular activities.

School Visitor Policy

⚠️All visitors must show proof of at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccination to enter a DOE school building. Visitors do not include students attending school or school related activities in a DOE school building.

Acceptable proof of vaccination is one of the following:

An acceptable COVID-19 vaccination includes one dose of any COVID-19 vaccine fully authorized or authorized for emergency use by the FDA or WHO

Immunization Requirements: 
 
New York State Public Health Law requires students to get certain vaccines in order to attend childcare or school. Before the school year begins, all students should receive all required immunizations. 
📌Immunization Requirement Letter HERE
You can find this information at: DOE Health & Safety in Our Schools
https://www.schools.nyc.gov/school-life/health-and-wellness/covid-information/health-and-safety-in-our-schools Source: New York City - Department of Education