New York City students no longer have to isolate at home for five days after testing positive for COVID-19, according to new guidelines issued by the Department of Education.
Following updated protocols from the federal Centers for Disease Control, kids who test positive for the virus but have no symptoms are allowed to come into school, though they’re still encouraged to follow precautions such as masking and social distancing for at least five days.
Students who do have COVID-19 symptoms – such as a fever, persistent cough, shortness of breath or congestion – are encouraged to stay home for at least 24 hours, or until they have no fever without medicine and are showing signs of improvement.
“Instead of a minimum isolation period, people with COVID-19 should stay home and away from others based on their symptoms, similar to how they would for other respiratory infections, like flu and RSV,” the guidance, first reported by Chalkbeat, states.
Four years after New York was the epicenter of the virus – which shut down schools and offices, overwhelmed hospitals, disrupted normal life and sickened hundreds of thousands of residents in its first wave – new policies are increasingly treating it more like any other cold or flu.
Vaccines have not been mandatory for school visitors, teachers or city workers for more than a year. The DOE does not require students to be vaccinated either, though it is “highly recommended.”
The new directive from the DOE is in line with the city’s health guidelines, which also allow people to resume normal activities after a 24-hour period as long as they no longer have symptoms.
Though New York’s public libraries are no longer distributing free tests, Chalkbeat reports that city public schools will continue to provide COVID tests upon request, according to an email sent to principals.
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