Covid-19 Response
Covid-19 Guideline for the 2022 / 23 School Year
(Status 08/24/20)
These guidelines are subject to change depending on the development throughout the school year.
Staying Home When Sick
People with symptoms of COVID-19 must stay home. GISNY mandates a test as soon as possible after symptoms begin in order to return to school.
Possible symptoms include:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
Students or staff members who come to school with symptoms or develop symptoms while at school will be asked to wear a well-fitting mask and will have to leave the school or be picked up as soon as possible and get tested. They will be separated from others as much as possible until they leave school grounds.
Returning to School after a negative Covid-19 test
A student or staff member can come back to school but will be required to wear a mask for 5 days, if the test is negative and,
- the person is fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication) and
- the symptoms are improving
On the day of return, please fill out and sign the COVID-19 confirmation form and bring it to the front office before going to the class room or send it via email to nurse@gisny.org.
Positive Case
People testing positive for COVID-19 need to inform the school nurse immediately. They will have to isolate (isolation guidance) and must not attend school until they have completed isolation. Once isolation has ended , people should wear a well-fitting mask around others through day 10.
Isolation Guidance
If a person tests positive for COVID-19, they must stay home for at least 5 days and isolate from others in their home. They are likely most infectious during these first 5 days.
Isolation is counted in days, as follows:
No symptoms
- Day 0 is the day of the test (not the day when the positive test result is received)
- Day 1 is the first full day following the day they were tested
- If they develop symptoms within 10 days after testing positive, the clock restarts at day 0 on the day of symptom onset
With symptoms
- Day 0 of isolation is the day of symptom onset, regardless of when they tested positive
- Day 1 is the first full day after the day the symptoms started
End isolation based on how serious the COVID-19 symptoms were.
No symptoms
They may end isolation after day 5. They must still wear a mask for another 5 days.
With symptoms
They may end isolation after day 5 if:
- They are fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication)
- The symptoms are improving
They must still wear a mask for another 5 days.
Otherwise
- If they still have fever or the other symptoms have not improved, they should continue to isolate until they improve.
- If they had moderate illness (if they experienced shortness of breath or had difficulty breathing), or severe illness (they were hospitalized) due to COVID-19, or have a weakened immune system, they need to isolate through day 10.
- If they had severe illness or have a weakened immune system, they should consult their doctor before ending isolation. Ending isolation without a viral test may not be an option for them.
Exposure
People who were exposed to COVID-19 must inform the school nurse asap.
Then, please, observe the following guidelines:
No symptoms
The child can go to school, but
- Wear a high-quality mask for 10 days.
- Watch for COVID-19 symptoms
You must test your child at least 5 full days after the last exposure even if they don’t develop symptoms. Please fill out and sign the COVID-19 confirmation form and bring it to the front office before going to the class room or send it via email to nurse@gisny.org.
If symptoms develop
- Isolate immediately,
- get tested and stay home until you know the result.
- If your test result is positive, follow the isolation recommendations.
If the child already had COVID-19 within the past 90 days, see specific testing recommendations.
There will be no distinction between different test formats. All lab tests as well as home tests will be accepted. GISNY will require parents to fill out a form in which they confirm having tested their child for COVID-19.
Masking
Wearing a well-fitting mask consistently and correctly reduces the risk of spreading the virus that causes COVID-19. Therefore, beyond all the regulations described above, anyone who chooses to wear a mask will be supported in their decision to do so at GISNY.
GISNY reserves the right to require masking in certain settings to react to developments within the school or in order to protect individual students.
Ventilation
GISNY will continue to optimize ventilation and maintain improvements to indoor air quality to reduce the risk of germs and contaminants spreading through the air. Windows will remain open as much as possible, classrooms are equipped with air filters and all filters will be cleaned or changed regularly.
Hand Hygiene and Respiratory Etiquette
GISNY will continue to encourage proper hand washing regularly. We will provide adequate handwashing supplies, including soap and water and hand sanitizers where applicable.
We will continue to teach and reinforce covering coughs and sneezes to help keep individuals from getting and spreading infectious diseases, including COVID-19.
Cleaning
All surfaces will be cleaned by professional cleaning providers at least once a day to reduce the risk of germs spreading by touching surfaces.
Visitors
All visitors to GISNY that are in close contact with students will be asked to wear a well fitting mask.
Class Test and School Events
GISNY reserves the right to ask for a negative COVID-19 test before major school events or class trips depending on the Community level of infection.
Sources
DOH Press Release on update Covid Regulation (August 22, 2022)I
