Updated Isolation & Quarantine Guidance - Rensselaer City School District

Members of the Rensselaer City School District Community:

Beginning this week, our school in coordination with the Rensselaer County DOH will implement and honor the new NYS guidance based on CDC recommendations regarding isolation and quarantining. Our nurse has reached out to each student & staff member that is in isolation or quarantine to verify that they are symptom free and communicate any updated return dates. If she left you a message and you did not respond, please do so. Your student may be eligible to return to school.

Isolation

A person must isolate when they are sick or when they have been infected with the virus, even if they don’t have symptoms.

Any student or employee who tests positive for COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status, must isolate at home for 5 days.
Day 0 would be the date of onset of symptoms or the date the positive test was collected if asymptomatic.
If symptoms are improving, the individual may return to school after the 5-day isolation and wear a well-fitting mask while around others for an additional 5 days.
If symptoms persist or the individual is unable to wear a mask, isolate for a full 10 days.
Individuals who are moderately to severely immunocompromised should isolate for 10 days.

Quarantine

A person must quarantine when they might have been exposed to the virus and may or may not have been infected.

If the individual is not fully vaccinated:
- Quarantine at home for 5 days. Day 0 would be the date of last exposure.
- After quarantine ends, mask while around others and monitor for symptoms for an additional 5 days.
- Test on day 5, if possible.
- If individual develops any symptoms or tests positive, they must isolate.
If the individual is fully vaccinated:
- No quarantine required.
- Mask while around others and monitor for symptoms for 10 days from date of exposure.
- Test on day 5, if possible.
- If individual develops any symptoms or tests positive during quarantine, they must isolate.

Athletes, please remember our Monday morning screening. Be sure to wear your masks correctly and maintain distance.

We have been notified of 1 more staff member and 5 students that have tested positive for COVID-19 since Thursday. Please remember to send students to school with a mask and to keep the kids home if they have any signs or symptoms of COVID-19. We will get through this together.

Joe