January 11, 2022
Dear parents, guardians, and staff,
There have been many recent protocol updates and changes coming from the NY State Department of Health, the CDC, Governor Hochul’s Office, and the Otsego County Department of Health relative to COVID procedures. The latest directives came out Monday, January 10 and will be implemented at Unatego on Tuesday, January 11, 2022. (Please note that the below applies to students, faculty, and staff)
- If you have symptoms of COVID:
- Stay home if you have COVID-19 symptoms and get tested as soon possible. If you are sick but cannot get a test, stay home, and follow the isolation guidelines (below) as if you were positive for COVID-19.
- If you test positive for COVID-19 – (Including a home test – Rapid Test):
- Regardless of your vaccination status, isolate at home for five days, separate from other family members, staying in a separate room and using a separate bathroom if possible.
- If you have no symptoms or your symptoms have resolved after five days, you can leave your house but must wear a surgical or KN-95 mask. A cloth mask is not acceptable.
- Continue to wear your mask around others for five additional days after quarantine.
- If you have a fever, continue to stay home until your fever resolves; this is without the use of fever reducing medications for 24 hours.
- If symptoms have not improved after your 5-day quarantine, you should stay home until your symptoms are improving and no new symptoms begin.
- If you were exposed to someone with COVID-19 (close contact) and are fully vaccinated*:
- You do not need to quarantine, but you should wear a mask around others for ten days.
- Take a COVID test on day five, if possible.
- If you develop symptoms, get tested for COVID as soon as possible and stay home.
*fully vaccinated defined as two weeks after receipt of last dose of vaccine except as follows:
Individuals 12 years and older who re eligible for a booster but not boosted who have been exposed to a COVID-19 positive individual cannot participate in extracurricular or after-school activities and, aside from school attendance for instruction and bus travel, must adhere to the five-day quarantine at home.
- If you were exposed to someone with COVID-19 and not fully vaccinated:
- Quarantine at home for five days.
- Continue to wear a mask around others for an additional five days after quarantine.
- Test on day five, if possible.
- If you develop symptoms get tested for COVID as soon as possible and stay home.
Should there be more information or changes to these practices, I will share them with you as quickly as possible. Please know that it is likely that you will not receive a call from the Department of Health or a NYS Contact Tracer and can return to work/school based on the above protocol. As always, please contact me with any questions or concerns, stay well, and thank you.
Sincerely,
Dr. David S. Richards
Superintendent of Schools