In an effort to keep BH-BL parents and community in the know about COVID requirements and mandates, we are sharing the current requirements given to BH-BL by the NYS Department of Health for symptomatic students. Below is the protocol to be followed when a student has the following symptom(s) associated with COVID-19. This protocol will be used during periods of moderate to high levels of transmission. This protocol may be adjusted as the transmission rates decline.
If your child has any of the following symptoms (adapted from the CDC website) they must be kept home from school/ will be sent home from school:
- Fever ( 100* or higher) or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
For a student to return to school, parents/guardians must submit either a negative COVID-19 PCR test result OR a note from the child’s Health Care Provider (HCP) indicating that the test was negative. The student must be fever free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications, and symptoms should be improving. If testing is not done, the student must remain out of school for a minimum of 10 calendar days from the onset of symptoms (as determined by the local health department).
- There is no exemption for vaccinated individuals.
- Antigen testing (most rapid tests) CANNOT be accepted for symptomatic students.
- Exceptions to the testing requirements are:
- HCP provides a diagnosis of a pre-existing condition with symptoms that are not new or worsening.
- HCP provides an alternative diagnosis of a confirmed acute illness- such as laboratory confirmed strep or influenza AND Covid 19 is not suspected.
Please speak with your child’s school nurse as these exceptions may not require school exclusion.