NYSDOH guidance stipulates that students identified as close contacts who are eligible for, but have not yet received a COVID-19 booster shot, are required to quarantine for 5 days from the date of the last exposure.
However, there is an exception for K-12 schools that allows for students to test on day 2 or 3 and again on day 5, while still attending classes. The Storm King School will be following this guidance, with the following protocols in place:
1) Day student families whose children meet the criteria described above (eligible but not yet boosted) are required to test at home using an accredited rapid antigen test on either day 2 or day 3, as well as again on day 5, following the last date of exposure (identified by our contact tracer). Anyone who tested positive within the past 90 days remains exempt from testing, rapid or PCR.
Rapid antigen test kits are available to students and can be picked up at the Administration Building during business hours. These test kits contain two tests, one to be done on day 2/3 and the other to be done on day 5 following their last known exposure.
2) Results must be reported to our Director of Health Services Cindy Neville (
cneville@sks.org) after testing. These results are for our records and to ensure compliance with the guidance. These results will not be reported to the OCDOH. Any person who tests positive using the rapid antigen test must take a RT-PCR test to confirm illness. PCR testing will be reported to the OCDOH as required.
3) In the interim, these students are permitted to attend classes and participate in school-based extracurricular activities as long as they do not involve students from other schools. Students can not compete in any interscholastic athletic contests or activities with students from other schools during this 5-day period.
4) All students should continue to monitor for symptoms of COVID-19. If symptomatic, students are not permitted to attend in-person classes and are required to obtain a non-rapid PCR test. Boarding students will have transportation arranged for these tests. We are currently recommending that families use the
rapidhealthplus.com pop-up testing sites that take walk-ins with locations in Middletown, Washingtonville, and Salisbury Mills. Their turnaround time is excellent.
Thank you for your cooperation and your continued efforts to keep our community healthy.
