Any student or staff member exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms will be sent to the nurse's office. Those symptoms include:

• Fever (100.0°F or greater) or chills

• Cough

• Difficulty breathing (including bluish lips)

• Fatigue

• Muscle/body aches

• Headache

• New loss of taste/smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion/runny nose

• Nausea/vomiting

• Diarrhea

In accordance with Department of Health guidance, the nurse will evaluate the individual.

If the nurse identifies a staff member with possible COVID-19, the nurse:

• Sends the staff member home immediately,

• Informs the staff member he or she must evaluated by a healthcare professional within 48 hours, and

• Requests the staff member share negative COVID-19 diagnostic test results or quarantine instructions with the school.

If the nurse identifies a student with possible COVID-19, the nurse:

• Immediately places the student in an adult-supervised isolation room away from other students and staff,

• Immediately notifies the student's parents/guardians to pick up the student,

• Informs the parent that the student must evaluated by a healthcare professional within 48 hours, and

• Requests the parents/guardians share negative COVID-19 diagnostic test results or quarantine instructions with the school.

The school will immediately pull attendance rosters and bus lists to identify possible contact. This information will be shared with the Department of Health to facilitate contact tracing if the student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19

In late October, the New York State issued a requirement that an individual sent home with possible COVID-19 symptoms must evaluated by a healthcare professional within 48 hours. If that person does not have a medical appointment within 48 hours or is not awaiting the results of a PCR test, the school must notify the Herkimer County Department of Health (DOH). The DOH will assume the person is COVID-positive and begin quarantine and contracting tracing. The DOH will determine if others require testing and/or quarantine.

Central Valley CSD will work with Herkimer County Public Health to identify who in the community is responsible for COVID-19 Testing, recognizing that this list may change over time. These providers could be offering either Diagnostic Tests which show if you have an active COVID-19 infection, or Antibody Tests which look for antibodies that are made by the immune system in response to a specific virus and can indicate if you had a COVID-19 infection at some point in the past.

The current area providers offering testing services are:

• Primary Urgent Care: Albany Street, Herkimer, NY: 315-634-6647

• Griffiss Business & Technology Park, Rome, NY: 1-888-364-3065

Central Valley CSD will work with the local Public Health Department to identify when a student or staff member should be directed to seek a diagnostic COVID-19 test. These instances include:

• When they indicate on their daily screening that they have symptoms consistent with COVID-19

• When someone the student or staff member resides with has symptoms consistent with COVID-19

• When directed by a Medical Provider or local Public Health Department.

In the event that large-scale testing will need to be conducted at the school, Central Valley CSD administration will work with the following providers:

• Bassett Healthcare Occupational Testing

If you or someone you know is concerned and would like advice on whether or not you should be tested, please contact your medical provider or your County Health Department:

• Herkimer County Public Health: 315-867-1176

• Fulton County Public Health: 518-736-5720

• Hamilton County Public Health: 518-648-6497

• Otsego County Public Health: 607-547-4200

• Montgomery County Public Health: 518-853-3531

• Oneida County Public Health: 315-798-6400

Central Valley CSD will comply with all federal and state laws and regulations to protect confidentiality. Staff are not to determine who is to be excluded from school based on contact as this is the responsibility of the local health department.

• To return to school, the person must provide a note from a medical provider with alternative diagnosis or a negative COVID-19 PCR test.

Note: The responsibility for determining the need for COVID testing rests with your healthcare provider or the Department of Health.

• Quarantines for individuals exposed to COVID-19 can end after ten (10) days without a testing requirement if no symptoms are reported during those ten (10) days. However, those individuals must continue daily symptom monitoring for another four (4) days.