Covid-19 Response
Attention: Updated Isolation and Quarantine Requirements, January 2022
Isolation Requirements Regardless of Vaccination Status
Students who test positive for COVID-19 are required to isolate for at least five (5) days regardless of vaccination status. Day 0 is the first day of symptoms or, for asymptomatic students, the day the COVID-19 test was performed. Per the CDC, isolation separates sick people with a contagious disease from people who are not sick.
Ending Isolation: Students may attend school after the 5-day isolation provided:
- Symptoms have improved
- Productive cough and runny nose are resolved
- No vomiting, no diarrhea, and no fever for at least 24 hours without fever-reducing medication
If symptoms persist after day 5, further isolation will be required. Certain symptoms such as loss of taste and smell may persist for weeks or months after recovery and need not delay the end of isolation.
If asymptomatic students develop symptoms after testing positive, the 5-day isolation period starts over. Day 0 is the first day of symptoms.
Masks are required indoors in schools, and students who test positive must continue to wear a well-fitting mask around others at home and in public for 5 additional days (day 6 through day 10) after the end of their 5-day isolation period. If they are unable to wear a mask when around others, they must continue isolation for 10 days.
If the Department of Health has not issued a formal ‘Release from Isolation’ notice for a student ending isolation, parents must complete an Affirmation of Isolation reporting form to affirm that symptoms of students who tested positive are improving/resolved and they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours before returning to school. Please return the Affirmation of Isolation form to the school nurse nurse@gisny.org for clearance to return to school:
https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2022/01/affirmation_of_isolation_011222.pdf
Quarantine Requirements
Close Contact Exposure Outside School: Parents are responsible for notifying the school if their child has a close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 outside of school and the child may have to quarantine based on their vaccination status. Close contact is defined as being within 6 feet for more than 15 minutes over a 24-hour period.
Health screening form for visitors
GISNY is screening every visitor entering the building. Please print out and complete the following form before entering the building:
Westchester County Department of Health Covid-19 Testing for Schools
As part of our Covid-19 response plan to ensure a safe environment for our school community, we have partnered with the Westchester County Department of Health (WCDOH), and Quadrant Biosciences to provide in-school PCR pool testing for 20% of our school community on a weekly basis.
The WCDOH has extended the weekly school testing program into 2022 in an effort to keep students in school for in-person learning. We have reopened registration and would encourage all interested students, faculty, and staff to sign up for testing as soon as possible. Please follow the sign up steps below.
The Test
The Clarifi COVID-19 test is currently the most sensitive saliva test on the market and has been administered over 2 million times to college and K-12 students in New York State. You will also be pleased to know that the Clarifi COVID-19 test involves a very simple and painless saliva swab that the student can easily self-administer, as shown in this short video.
The Testing Procedure
Testing will take place weekly, on Fridays in the gym lobby, between the hours of 8:00am and 12:00pm until the end of the year. Students will have the opportunity to be tested at a time that is convenient to their schedule. Younger students will be accompanied to the testing by a GISNY staff member.
Once all samples have been collected for the day, they will be sent off to Quadrant’s lab to be analyzed. Results will be returned within 24-48 hours, likely on Monday afternoon, and will be available for you to view by logging into your profile on https://app.clarifi-covid-19.com/ .
The Sign-up Procedure
To participate in the testing program, you must
- Fill out both consent forms for each child and send them to testing@gisny.org.
- Create student profiles at Quadrant Biosciences (https://app.clarifi-covid-19.com/). You can register multiple student profiles under one account. Please pay special attention to the spelling of your child's name as well as date of birth. The test is free for schools so please indicate you have no insurance.
We hope you will consider having your child participate in this important testing program at GISNY. The health and safety of our students, staff and community is our highest priority, and we greatly appreciate your support during these challenging times.
Official COVID-19 Guidance for Schools:
New York State Department of Health Isolation and Quarantine:
https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/isolation-quarantine
Revised Isolation and Quarantine Guidance, March 1, 2022:
Isolation and Quarantine Tables:
Travel Guidance:
- CDC Domestic Travel During COVID-19:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/travel-during-covid19.html
- CDC International Travel During COVID-19:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/international-travel-during-covid19.html
Important information for anyone joining during the school year
ALL faculty, staff and students starting during the school year will require a negative COVID-19 PCR test, which cannot be older than 72 hours. The test result has to be sent to our school nurse: nurse@gisny.org before entering the school building.
Thank you for your continued understanding and your cooperation.