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 is 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 isolate 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 their school so they can be report 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 monitor 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.

 

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 

 

Ventilation:

• 160K+ air purifiers distributed to schools – at least two in every classroom

• Monitoring ventilation in buildings on a daily basis and perform any required work in a timely manner

• HVAC upgrades in alignment with CDC guidance, including 110,000 MERV-13 filters installed

 

School Building Cleaning:

• Routine cleaning of surfaces will be maintained

 

Get Tested:

• 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. 

 

School Closure:

• Schools will be closed only when it is determined by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) that there is widespread transmission in the school. With the health and safety measures in place, we expect that school closures will be limited.

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UPDATE: Family Letter on Health & Safety for the 2022-23 School Year from NYCDOE