All About Covid -19

DOE Fall 2022 Guidance

COVID-19 Guidance

Get Vaccinated

We encourage all students to get vaccinated.  Information on Vaccination can be found here:

• • https://vaccinefinder.nyc.gov/    (or call 877-VAX-4-NYC).

Get tested if exposed to COVID-19: Students and staff who are exposed to COVID-19 should get tested.

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. The should wear a mask until day 10 after symptom onset or date of positive test, whichever is earlier. Masks may be removed during this period if the person has received two negative rapid tests 48 hours apart.

• • Children who are younger than age 2 or anyone that cannot consistently and correctly wear a mask can return to a child care program on Day 6 if symptoms are resolving and they have been fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicine.
  • These cases should be reported to their school or program so they can be reported into the Situation 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. 

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• 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.
  • CBO programs will be able to pick up test kits at their assigned distribution hub.
  • Please see here for a letter to families

COVID-19 At-home Testing  

COVID-19 at-home diagnostic testing (also called self-testing) allows some or all parts of the  testing process to take place at home. With some at-home tests, you collect a nasal or saliva sample and send it to a laboratory. Other tests allow you to test the sample yourself, with  results available in minutes.  

If you need to be tested for COVID-19 and cannot be tested by a health care provider, consider  at-home testing.

Note: At-home test results may not be accepted for some purposes, such as  school, employer or travel testing requirements.  

Tips for Performing an At-home Test 

• Read the manufacturer’s instructions carefully and view any online instructional videos  provided by the manufacturer before beginning the test.  
• Closely follow the manufacturer’s instructions. If specimens are not collected, handled or stored exactly as written in the instructions, your test result may not be correct.  • Before and after testing, wash your hands with soap and water and disinfect the table or  other surface where you are performing the test. 
• Do not open test kits until you are ready to start. Check the expiration date. Do not use  expired tests or test components that are damaged or discolored. 
• Read the test result within the amount of time written in the manufacturer’s  instructions. A result read before or after the stated timeframe may not be correct.  • Do not reuse test kits or components. 

Interpreting Test Results 

At-home testing may be less accurate than tests performed by a health care provider. For this  reason, there are times when you should follow up with your provider and arrange for another  COVID-19 test to confirm your at-home test result (a confirmatory test, such as a molecular [PCR] or antigen test). For more information, see the table on the following page.  

Additional Resources 

• Learn about COVID-19 treatment options at nyc.gov/health/covidtreatments.  Treatment works best the sooner you start – call your provider right away if you test  positive.  
• If you test positive for COVID-19 or were recently exposed, the NYC Test & Trace Corps can provide resources to help you separate from others in a free hotel room or at home.  Call 212-COVID19 (212-268-4319) and select option 5 after choosing your language or  visit nychealthandhospitals.org/test-and-trace.  
• For more information on COVID-19 at-home testing, including videos on how to use and  interpret home self-test kits, visit cdc.gov and search for Self-Testing.  
• For information on quarantine and isolation, visit nyc.gov/preventcovid and click on COVID-19: Understanding Quarantine and Isolation. 

• For more information on COVID-19 tests, visit nyc.gov/health/coronavirus and click on  Testing. To find a testing site, many of which are no cost, visit nyc.gov/covidtest.  

Daily Health Screener:

• • No longer required to enter school buildings.

With Safety In Mind

In order to minimize the number of individuals who come in contact with each other, and in order to identify potentially sick students and staff to the greatest extent possible, schools will be required to follow all applicable health guidance and to develop entry and dismissal protocols consistent with the latest health guidance, including:

• Staying up-to-date on guidance on symptom checks, which continues to evolve. 
• Creating guidelines for health screenings of staff who report to work outside of morning arrival. 
• Managing student drop off and pick up outside the school building to minimize the number of external visitors.

It is strongly recommended that nonessential visitors do not enter the school building without proper vaccination proof. Schools should limit the frequency and duration of other visitors. 

We will also be asking for feedback from principals, and monitoring best practices for building entry and exit protocols.

Maintaining Healthy Environments

Keeping students and staff safe requires that the physical environment in which our staff works and our students learn must be modified to meet current health and safety needs.

• Ventilation:
  • 160+ air purifiers distributed to all areas  – 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.
• School Bus Health and Safety Procedures:
  • For the latest transportation procedures, visit the Transportation What's New(Open external link) page.

Changes to School Buildings

Schools will be allowed, and in some cases directed, to modify or reconfigure spaces to ensure compliance with physical distancing rules. Additional guidance on the process for space modifications will be shared later this summer.

All schools will have a designated Isolation Room, as well as staff to supervise that space.

School Based Health Centers (SBHC) may provide supplemental care, if this is a viable option.

Ventilation in School Buildings 

The New York City Department of Education is following the guidance laid out by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Council of Great City Schools, Department of Health & Mental Health (DOHMH), City University of New York (CUNY), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

According to our city and federal public health experts,

• A room is safe when air is able to flow in and out—whether through natural or mechanical means. This flow can be achieved either through use of an HVAC, an open window, or air handlers.
• All rooms must have adequate ventilation to be used for the school year.
• Following public health guidance, we are assessing and making repairs on buildings designed and built to permit air flow through windows. We expect repairs to be completed by the opening of school and rooms without adequate ventilation will not be occupied by students or staff.
• Ventilation in school buildings is provided by a combination of the following systems: 
• supply and exhaust fans 
• windows and exhaust fans 
• HVAC Systems: rooftop units, air handling units, and dedicated outside systems in newer buildings, such as Uninvents 
• These systems are installed to meet the Building Code Requirements at the time of design and construction.
• Buildings that have supply and exhaust fans do not need operable windows. Windows can be used for additional air dilution and supplemental ventilation, or if the mechanical system failed.
• Buildings that have operable windows and exhaust fans meet the ventilation requirements.
• Mechanical ventilation can be with both supply and exhaust fans, or only exhaust fans and the use of windows for make-up air.
• Mechanical ventilation is provided by HVAC Units that supply fresh air into inner core rooms of buildings that do not have windows. Outside air dampers should be opened (either manually or using the Building Management System) to between 75%-100% to maximize outside air supply and still maintain building comfort levels.

All DOE school buildings were surveyed by Division of School Facilities (DSF) staff this summer to assess the state of building ventilation and they are currently performing repairs in conjunction with the School Construction Authority. These repairs include fixing windows, repairing HVAC systems, and replacing air filters in buildings with central HVAC systems.

Cleaning and Disinfection

Schools will CONTINUE to implement enhanced cleaning and disinfection of surfaces to ensure the health and safety of staff and students.

Throughout the school year, the DOE will continue the rigorous practices used to prepare buildings for reopening, including:

• Providing adequate cleaning and disinfection supplies or plan to procure those supplies.
• Requiring deep cleanings to be completed on a nightly basis, including with the use of electrostatic sprayers.
• Improving HVAC systems to ensure proper ventilation.
• Setting-up enhanced cleaning in classrooms, bathrooms, and for high touch areas such as doorknobs and shared equipment such as laptops. 
• Providing teachers with cleaning supplies for classrooms.

Testing and Tracing

We must use every effort to prevent the spread of infection in schools if a student or staff member is feeling sick or has a confirmed case of COVID-19. This section explains the protocols in place to achieve this. The most fundamental guidance remains that any student or staff member should stay home if they are not feeling well.

The City will continue to closely monitor health conditions, and if community transmission begins to rise across the boroughs, the decision to close all schools may be included in the mitigation effort.

In the interest of the health and safety of our entire city, DOHMH recommends that all New Yorkers get tested, whether or not you have symptoms or are at increased risk.

All staff members will be asked to take a COVID-19 test in the days before the first day of school. School staff will have priority access for testing at (Open external link)34 city-run testing locations(Open external link)with tests provided free of charge and with expedited results. This testing is also available for families citywide.