This message was emailed to all families on Friday, January 21.
Dear Troy Community,
The New York State Department of Health recently updated its guidance on COVID isolation and quarantine, formally ending its contact tracing program. This means individuals potentially exposed to COVID-19 will no longer be contacted by their local department of health.
The new guidance also states that schools are no longer required to conduct contact tracing. Having said that, we will continue to notify impacted families when we learn about a positive case. Beginning immediately, however, we will shift from a “contact tracing” notification to a “potential exposure” notification model. This notification will be via letter or email and will include information about isolation and quarantine, as well as resources from New York State.
This change in state guidance moves us towards more personal responsibility and accountability. If you receive a notice of potential exposure from the school, you should follow the guidance from the State Department of Health. Additionally, as you will no longer receive a phone call or quarantine/isolation release forms from the county health department, you will now need to access, review and complete these forms yourself at the conclusion of isolation or quarantine periods and return them to your school nurse.
The revised guidelines and links to the New York State resources can be found here
Ultimately, the best way to avoid being a close contact or risk infecting others is to continue to follow our mitigation protocols which have served us well over the past two years and which are still in place. These include physical distancing, wearing a well-fitting mask, and staying home if you are sick.
If you have any questions or concerns about COVID-19 testing or other health and safety protocols, please do not hesitate to call your building principal or nurse.
As I have said throughout this pandemic, the health and safety of our students and staff continues to be our top priority, and we appreciate your support and cooperation.
Sincerely,
John Carmello
Superintendent of Schools