With mid-winter recess scheduled for next week, the Fayetteville-Manlius School District is reminding students and staff members who plan to travel that they may need to quarantine before returning to campus.
New York state requires a 10-day quarantine for anyone returning to New York from a state other than Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont, a U.S. territory or from a CDC Level 2 or higher Travel Health Notice country.
The state has changed its procedures that were in place during F-M’s December/January winter recess when some district staff members may have traveled and then been eligible for paid sick leave during a quarantine period.
Employees who voluntarily travel to a location that is under the state travel advisory during the mid-winter break and are then required to quarantine upon their return will not receive paid sick leave during their quarantine time under the state’s COVID-19 paid sick leave law.
Testing out of quarantine
The state is allowing anyone returning to New York state from a noncontiguous state (a state other than Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont), a U.S. territory or a CDC Level 2 or higher Travel Health Notice country to test-out of the mandatory 10-day quarantine for asymptomatic individuals by following the guidelines below:
For travelers who were out-of-state more than 24 hours:
- Obtain a test within three days of departure, prior to arrival in New York.
- Upon arrival in New York, quarantine for three days.
- On day four of quarantine, obtain another COVID-19 test.
- If both tests are negative, the traveler may exit quarantine early upon receipt of the second negative diagnostic test.
For travelers who were out-of-state less than 24 hours:
- No test is required prior to departure from the other state and quarantine upon arrival in New York state is not required.
- The traveler must fill out the New York State Traveler Health Form upon entry into New York and take a COVID-19 diagnostic test four days after arrival in New York.
“We are receiving fewer reports of positive COVID-19 cases in our school community, and I want to thank everyone for doing their part by wearing face masks, following social distancing guidelines and staying home when ill,” Superintendent Craig J. Tice said. “Quarantining and getting tested after traveling is just another way we can continue to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in our community and schools.”
Information about F-M’s health and safety protocols related to COVID-19 can be found in the district’s school reopening plan and on the plan’s FAQ web page.
Additionally, the state Department of Health recently released an updated Pre-K to Grade 12 COVID-19 Toolkit to help determine if students and staff members who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms should attend school and when they should return after having been ill.