COVID: 3 Safety requirements for students, teachers, and staff

Schools will open and remain open if the weekly average of all COVID19 tests come back positive is fewer than 3%. Since June, the city's positive test rate has been between 1 and 2 percent. We have strict protocols for testing, tracing, and quarantining if there is a confirmed case in school.  We will use every effort to prevent the spread of infection in schools if a student or staff member is feeling sick or has a confirmed case of COVID-19.

Many families have questions about ventilation. If a room will not be used if it does not have adequate ventilation. We are assessing and performing maintenance in buildings to maximize ventilation with outdoor air to the greatest extent possible. We expect maintenance to be completed by the opening of the school.

Before departing for school

Parents/guardians are required to conduct a health assessment of their children at home. The health assessment must be conducted in the morning and not the evening prior. The home assessment must include:

• Temperature Assessment – students with a measurement of 100.0°F or above, or self-reported as feeling feverish, cannot attend school.  They should seek medical care.
• Symptom Evaluation - students with cough, shortness of breath, and/or sore throat cannot attend school.  They should seek medical care.
• Recent Exposure - students in recent close contact with a person with COVID-19 cannot attend school and are encouraged to seek medical care.
• Recent Travel - students who traveled internationally or to a state with widespread community transmission of COVID-19 per the New York State Travel Advisory in the past 14 days cannot attend school. 

Parents/guardians are required to ensure their children wear appropriate face coverings during their commute to school.

Students will be reminded of precaution measures upon arrival:

• Be socially distanced 6ft apart at all times, including when awaiting entry
• Keep appropriate face covering on at all times
• Sanitize hands using hand sanitizer station in the vestibule
• Swipe student ID to document attendance

Students may undergo a random no-touch thermometer temperature assessment before entry:

• Face coverings, face shields, and gloves will be worn by staff assessing temperature.
• If a student has a temperature of 100.0°F or above, the student will be escorted to the isolation room.
• Parent/guardian and administration will be notified. 
• Student will remain in the isolation room until picked up by a parent/guardian.  Students cannot be released to any other individual.

Travel through the building is unidirectional in a clockwise fashion 

• Follow the decal markers on the floor and walls
• Only clockwise movement is permitted through floors, even if it makes the travel to the destination longer.
• Only stairwell (D) [64th St., Front Lobby] may be used to ascend to upper floors
• Only stairwell (B) [65th St., Main Entrance] may be used to descend to lower floors.

Food and Beverages

• Grab-N-Go breakfast and lunch will be available for pick in the lobby for consumption outside the building
• No consumption of food is allowed in the building
• Students may consume water during breaks. The face-covering must never be completely removed.  Only uncover the mouth to take a sip.
• Drinking of water is not permitted in hallways or stairways.

Additional Information

• Hallway and locker room lockers are not to be accessed at any time
• One person is allowed in a restroom at a time.  
• Elevators may only be used with medical documentation.  No more than 4 people are allowed in an elevator at the same time.
• Students may only enter the building on the day(s) they have class scheduled.

Before entering the building

Complete the online health screening.  The health screening must be conducted in the morning and not the evening prior. The health screening includes:

• Have you experienced any symptoms of COVID-19, including a fever of 100.0°F or greater, a new cough, new loss of taste or smell or shortness of breath within the past 10 days?
• In the past 10 days, have you gotten a positive result from a COVID-19 test that tested saliva or used a nose or throat swab?
• To the best of your knowledge, in the past 14 days, have you been in close contact with anyone who tested positive for COVID-19 or who has or had symptoms of COVID-19?
• Have you traveled internationally or from a state with widespread community transmission of COVID-19 per the New York State Travel Advisory in the past 14 days?

The screening results are valid until midnight that day. You must show your clearance every time you reenter a DOE building. Any employee who fails their health screening will be refused entry to the building by the School Safety Agent/DOE Safety Officer.

Upon arrival faculty/staff will be reminded of precaution measures:

• Be socially distanced 6ft apart at all times, including when awaiting entry
• Keep appropriate face covering on at all times
• Sanitize hands using hand sanitizer station in the vestibule
• Show the results of the daily health screening on your phone to personnel as you enter the building 

Faculty/staff with a temperature measurement of 100.0°F or above, or self-reported as feeling feverish, or exhibiting other COVID-19 like symptoms cannot enter the building and will be encouraged to seek medical care.

Travel through the building is unidirectional in a clockwise fashion 

• Follow the decal markers on the floor and walls
• Only clockwise movement is permitted through floors, even if it makes the travel to the destination longer.
• Only stairwell (D) [64th St., Front Lobby] may be used to ascend to upper floors
• Only stairwell (B) [65th St., Main Entrance] may be used to descend to lower floors.  
• Elevators may only be used with medical documentation.  No more than 4 people are allowed in an elevator at the same time.

Travel through the building is unidirectional in a clockwise fashion

• Follow the decal markers on the floor and walls
• Only clockwise movement is permitted through floors, even if it makes the travel to the destination longer.
• Only stairwell (D) [64th St., Front Lobby] may be used to ascend to upper floors
• Only stairwell (B) [65th St., Main Entrance] may be used to descend to lower floors.

In addition to at home daily health screenings, schools will be instituting random temperature checks upon entry using non-touch thermometers. 

·         Schools will be screening people entering the building at random.

·         Face coverings and gloves will be worn by designated staff taking temperatures. 

·         School-based staff members with a temperature of 100.0°F or higher will be directed to leave the building. The school should strongly encourage the staff member to visit a doctor and get tested for COVID-19.

*Please note that schools are prohibited to record or track staff or student temperatures or other health information.

 ALL DOE employees, visitors, and families must complete a health screening before entering DOE facilities. This health screening must be completed on each day of arrival. This health screening can also be completed online at: https://healthscreening.schools.nyc/. Upon entering the facility, if you have not completed the online health you will be asked to provide responses to the questions below.

1. Have you experienced any symptoms of COVID-19, including a fever of 100.0 degrees F or greater, a new cough, new loss of taste or smell or shortness of breath within the past 10 days?

 No. Go to the next question.

 Yes. No further screening is needed. The employee/guest may not enter the building.

2. In the past 10 days, have you gotten a positive result from a COVID-19 test that tested saliva or used a nose or throat swab? (not a blood test)

 No. Go to the next question.

 Yes. No further screening is needed. The employee/guest may not enter the building.

3. To the best of your knowledge, in the past 14 days, have you been in close contact (within 6 feet for at least 10 minutes) with anyone who tested positive for COVID-19 or who has or had symptoms of COVID-19?

 No. Go to the next question.

 Yes. No further screening is needed. The employee/guest may not enter the building.

4. Have you traveled internationally or from a state with widespread community transmission of COVID-19 per the New York State Travel Advisory in the past 14 days?

 No. The employee/guest may enter the building.

 Yes. No further screening is needed. The employee/guest may not enter the building.