COVID-19 Confirmed Case Protocols

Signs of illness

Any student or staff member with a fever of 100.4 degrees F or greater and/or symptoms of possible COVID-19 virus infection should not be present in school. Daily health screening, including daily temperature checks and completion of a health screening attestation, are required prior to arriving on school campus for students and staff. Prior to entering a school building contractors, vendors, and visitors must complete a health screening attestation.

Students and staff are required to notify the school when they develop symptoms or if their answers to the attestation change during or outside school hours (see Before Arrival section for more information).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) keep an up-to-date list of symptoms of Coronavirus on its website.

Staff members should report any signs of illness observed in students or adults immediately to the school nurse, to include but are not limited to:

• Flushed cheeks;

• Rapid or difficulty breathing (without recent physical activity);

• Fatigue, and/or irritability; or

• Frequent use of the bathroom.

Students and staff exhibiting such signs with no other explanation for them should call the health office for direction. If a school nurse is not available, the school must contact the parent/guardian to immediately pick up their child or send the staff member home.

Each school building has a dedicated isolation room for students or staff who present with COVID-19 related symptoms. The isolation room is separate from the Nurse's office and will be supervised.

Any student or staff member with a fever equal to or greater than 100.4 degree F, must remain home and be fever free without fever reducing medication for 24 hours before returning to school.

Students returning to school after a COVID-19 related illness will return to the Health Office with a doctors note and/or clearance from the Department of Health and be assessed by the school nurse before returning to class. Families without health insurance will be referred to Social Services for assistance.

Staff members returning to school after a COVID-19 related illness will submit a clearance from the Department of Health to Human Resources prior to returning to work.

If a staff member or student are presenting with COVID-19 symptoms and does not see a health care professional or go for COVID-19 test must remain home for 10 days from the first sign of symptoms.

Students who are home may participate in classroom instruction remotely via Zoom video conferencing. If the student is ill and cannot participate, the parent must report the absence to the school following the typical procedures.

Illness Suspected

Suspected staff as well as students who have been tested for COVID-19 or who have signs and symptoms of COVID-19, should remain at home and not come to school until results are known. A positive result will require additional isolation of the case and close contacts identified through contact tracing. Quarantine and/or notification will be determined by the Nassau County Health Department in conjunction with the school district. Laboratory testing may take days until results are determined.

Close Contact

The District will make the determination of close contacts in coordination with the Nassau County Department of Health. Close contact is defined by CDC as someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes starting from 2 days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic persons, 2 days prior to positive test) until the time the positive case is isolated.

Our District's Plan requires that masks/face coverings be warn and that 6 feet of social distancing be maintained at all times. In addition, materials, supplies and food are not to be shared. If District mitigation protocols are strictly followed in school, student and staff contacts may not be considered a close contact.

Close contacts are required to be quarantined according to NYS Department of Health and are monitored by Nassau County and NYS contact tracing efforts. In some cases, we may decide to make notifications to other students and staff in the classroom or building who are not close contacts. These individuals should be monitored for signs and symptoms but are not part of the contact tracing effort.

Testing

In cooperation with the School District Medical Director, School Nurse, and the COVID-19 Safety Coordinator (Administrator), individuals exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 will be referred to their personal physician for determination of appropriate treatment and the need to be tested.

New York State continues to increase testing capacity for COVID-19 on a daily basis. Individuals who have questions regarding eligibility or access for testing should call the New York State COVID-19 Hotline at 1-888-364-3065 or visit the NYSDOH website https://covid19screening.health.ny.gov.

Please call the testing site or your health care provider before you go for testing.

• If you go to a test site run by New York State, there is never any charge for your test.

• If you go to a test site operated by local governments, private companies including pharmacies and medical practices or not-for-profit organizations, you are advised to check with the testing site and your insurer in advance of being tested to confirm you will not be responsible for any fees associated with your test.

Three local test sites are listed below:

• PM Pediatrics
  1457 Northern Blvd, Manhasset, NY 11030
  (516) 520-5437

• Northwell Health-GoHealth Urgent Care
  1033 Northern Blvd, Roslyn, NY 11576
  (516) 473-0782

• CityMD Great Neck Urgent Care - Long Island
  415 Northern Blvd, Great Neck, NY 11021
  (516) 829-2273

If you have questions regarding COVID-19 symptoms or testing please call your school's health office.

Confirmed Case Protocols

If a student or staff member reports having tested positive for COVID-19, the school health office will notify the Nassau County Department of Health to determine what steps are needed for the school community. The school health office will also contact the District's Medical Director for additional guidance as needed.

Cleaning and Disinfection Following Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19 Case

In the event an individual is confirmed to have COVID-19, cleaning and disinfection protocols will include:

• Clean and disinfect all areas used by the person suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19, such as offices, classrooms, bathrooms, lockers, and common areas.

• Open outside doors and windows to increase air circulation in the area.

• Once the area has been appropriately cleaned and disinfected, it will be reopened for use.

• Individuals without close or proximate contact with the person suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19 can return to the area and resume school activities immediately after cleaning and disinfection.

• If more than seven days have passed since the person who is suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19 visited or used the facility, additional cleaning and disinfection is not necessary, but routine cleaning and disinfection should continue.

Contact Tracing

Contact tracing is a public health function performed by local public health departments to trace all persons who had contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19. This allows public health officials to put in place isolation or other measures to limit the spread of the virus. The District will cooperate with state and local health department contact tracing and will assist public health departments in knowing who may have had contact at school with a confirmed case by:

• keeping accurate attendance records of students and staff members;

• ensuring student schedules are up to date to inform proximate contacts of potential exposure;

• keeping a log of any visitors which includes date, time and where in the school they visited; and

• assisting the Nassau County Department of Health in tracing all contacts of the individual at school in accordance with the protocol, training, and tools provided through the New York State Contact Tracing Program.

Confidentiality will be maintained as required by federal and state laws and regulations.

People who have been identified by the Nassau County Department of Health as a close contact with someone who is positive must stay home and limit their contact with others. If a student or staff member is required to quarantine due to close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19, their return to school will be coordinated with the local health department.

Returning to School after Illness

Students or staff members may return to school after exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 following the guidance provided by NYSDOH.

The CDC provides specific guidance for individuals who are on home isolation regarding when the isolation may end.

School Closure

The District will collaborate with our local health department to determine the parameters, conditions or metrics (e.g., increased absenteeism or increased illness in school community) that will serve as early warning signs that positive COVID-19 cases may be increasing beyond an acceptable level.

The District will consider closing school if absentee rates impact the ability of the school to operate safely. The District may choose to modify operations in a particular school building prior to closing to help mitigate a rise in cases.