The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) has updated protocols for both isolations and quarantines. Some people now qualify for a shortened quarantine or isolation from a standard length of 10 days to an early release option of five days.

For All Students & Staff (Regardless of Vaccination Status)

If you test positive for Covid

• You need to isolate for five days. This period begins with the day you started having symptoms, or, if asymptomatic, the day you tested positive for Covid.
• If you are asymptomatic at the end of five days or your symptoms are resolving and you are fever-free for at least 24 hours, your isolation ends.
• Please obtain a release from Public Health and verify your date of return with your school nurse.

For Students & Staff who are Fully Vaccinated

If you are exposed to someone with Covid

• No quarantine is required.
•  If symptoms appear, isolate and seek testing. Isolation ends when a negative test is obtained; otherwise, you must isolate as stated above.

For Students & Staff who are NOT Fully Vaccinated

If you are exposed to someone with Covid

• Starting with the date of your last exposure, you need to quarantine for five days.
• If symptoms appear, isolate and seek testing. If the test is negative, you do not need to continue isolation. You may need to continue with quarantine protocols if applicable. Otherwise, without a negative test, you must isolate as stated above in the “If you test positive for Covid” section.

Important additional information:

• If you are released early from isolation or quarantine, you must ensure you are well masked; if you are unable to mask well, you should continue isolation or quarantine through day 10.
• If you are released early from isolation or quarantine, you should, as best as possible, eat breakfast and lunch at greater than 6 feet from others.
• If you participate in a club, sport, or extracurricular activity and qualify for an early release from isolation or quarantine, you may also be able to participate in those activities. Athletes still need a return to play document from their doctor if they had Covid, which may not be available until after day 10 per American Academy of Pediatrics guidance.
• Moving forward, if you or your child is placed in isolation or quarantine, you will need to go onto the Ontario County Public Health website and fill out a verification form to be entered into their system. You can only receive a release from Public Health if you complete this process. Those links can be found here:
  • If you have been placed in isolation, follow this link to attest to your isolation status: https://hipaa.jotform.com/220065955234151
  • If you have been placed in quarantine, follow this link to attest to your quarantine status: https://hipaa.jotform.com/220065841998162
• The school district is still expected to contact trace and share findings of potential exposures with public health so that they can determine if a quarantine is necessary.
• At this time, "fully vaccinated" does not include the booster.