To: Avon School Community
From: Avon School District
Date: December 31, 2021
Re: Updates Regarding COVID 19
The purpose of this memorandum is to pass along information updates regarding COVID-19. During the last week the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the New York State Health Department (NYSDOH), and Governor Hochul’s Office have put out additional information. This memo will synthesize that information and provide you with additional items related to ACS.
As a reminder, when this information comes out, we review it as a region, as schools, and in consultation with our local health department and school physician as necessary. As has been the case throughout the pandemic, information from the NYSDOH and the CDC are not always in alignment. The Livingston County Department of Health (LCDOH) and schools are guided by NYSDOH. It is important to keep this in mind as we all receive input from local news, national media, and a variety of online sources. We also know that this information continues to evolve.
Before moving into updated case numbers at Avon, we want to provide a high-level summary of relevant information from NYS and the CDC. Topics to be addressed will include: Test to Stay, Return to Work for Staff, Test Kits, Isolation Durations for Students, and an Avon Booster Clinic.
Updates from NYSDOH and Governor’s Office: Items are immediately effective
Topic | Relevant Information | Impact at Avon | |
Test to Stay | Contacts of a school-based COVID positive individual may be eligible to avoid isolation via Test to Stay if:
| Test to Stay has been a pilot with schools and LCDOH. It has been offered on a case-by-case basis. The new information from NYSDOH makes it a preferred practice. | |
Shortened Isolation for Fully Vaccinated Healthcare Workers and or other Critical Workforce | In limited circumstances: employees may return to work after a 5-day isolation period if:
| Shortened isolation and quarantines for staff members will be assessed on a case-by-case basis by the staff members themselves, health offices, and the Superintendent or designee. The detailed guidance update from the NYSDOH can be found HERE. | |
Test Kits from the Governor’s Office | Governor Hochul’s Office issued a communication this week informing schools that test kits would be provided to schools from the Governor’s Office in order to help keep schools operational. The details have been a little slow to materialize. As of now, we expect:
| ACS will discuss and communicate our systems for delivering the test kits to interested families. Information will be sent next week. We will likely provide one test kit per student. Any surplus test kits will be used in Avon’s testing program. Please keep in mind that every student who is engaging in Test to Stay will need 3 tests in a 7 day period. At this time, the test kits will be used to report positive tests only to LCDOH. Negative results from home tests will not need to be reported to LCDOH. | |
Updates from the CDC: This guidance is not effective in NYS at this time
Topic | Relevant Information | Impact at Avon |
Shortened Isolation Periods for Students | The CDC has issued updated guidance that is allowing for shorter isolation/quarantine periods. As of this writing NYSDOH has NOT taken action on shorter isolation periods for students | None at this time. NYSDOH has not changed isolation/quarantine lengths for students. |
Update from ACS regarding a LCDOH Moderna Vaccine Booster Clinic
Topic | Relevant Information | Impact at Avon |
Moderna Booster Vaccine Clinic at ACS | ACS is hosting a Moderna Booster Clinic on Friday January 7th from 9-11 am at the Middle School
| There will be minimal impact on teaching and learning at Avon based on the timing and location. |
Regular COVID Updates from ACS - Here are the updates on current COVID cases at ACS. Please note that since there has not been testing at school over the break, we are receiving information from a variety of sources at various times to stay up-to-date with case numbers. There are also inevitable lags in reporting due to the holidays and the staffing implications.
In the Elementary School, we have been notified of 1 positive student
In the Middle School, we have been notified of 3 positive students
In the High School, we have been notified of 14 positive students. We are aware of a cluster of cases within an athletic team. Appropriate action has been taken on behalf of the school
We have been notified of 2 positive staff members
Please note: individuals who are under isolation orders from the DOH need to forward the email with their release documentation to the HS/MS nurse in order to return to school
ACS Diagnostic COVID Testing -
As a reminder, testing is available as a diagnostic/response test. If you or your child would like a rapid shallow nasal-swab diagnostic COVID test, please send an email to covid.testing@avoncsd.org. You will then receive a Google form to choose a time to be tested along with the consent form and intake form that will need to be completed prior to the test. If you have any questions please contact Michelle Burke at mburke@avoncsd.org.
Test results take approximately 15 minutes. We notify regarding positives results only.
Please do not 'walk in' for a test. Tests can be scheduled quickly by reaching out to Michelle Burke as detailed above. We want to be helpful and responsive, but managing 'walk in' testing was not our intention and distracts from the primary responsibilities of our nurses. A simple email will get you a test scheduled quickly.
Beginning on Monday, January 3rd we welcome a new LPN to the Avon Nursing team for the remainder of the year. She will manage the bulk of our COVID testing.
SCHEDULE for January 3-7: Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 8:00 am-3:00 pm
More information will be sent regarding the test kits being provided by Governor’s Office.
We have tried to synthesize a great deal of information efficiently into this memorandum. Please reach out with additional questions.