Albany County COVID-19 Data Tracking
This is how you can track community transmission rates.
Voorheesville Central School District is following the latest guidance from the New York State Department of Health regarding COVID-19. For more information, please review “What Parents/Caregivers Should Know about COVID Mitigation Strategies for the 2022-2023 School Year” (August 2022).
Illness/positive COVID test
As with any infectious illness, students and staff who test positive for COVID-19, or who show symptoms, are asked to stay home from school and follow the Centers for Disease Control’s Isolation Guidance.
- Someone who tested positive and has no symptoms may return to school after day 5.
- Someone who is sick (has symptoms) may return to school after day 5 if they have been fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication) and symptoms are improving.
People who have been sick, or tested positive, should wear a mask through day 10.
Testing
Testing is recommended for people with symptoms of COVID-19 as soon as possible after symptoms begin.
Albany County has asked that families please report all positive at home cases directly to them using the following form: https://forms.albanycounty.com/Forms/dcu8G.
If a child or staff member tests positive, please notify the school nurse. Per regulation, school nurses must notify the Department of Health regarding COVID positives and other communicable diseases.
At-home test kits
VCSD provides at-home COVID-19 test kits for students. COVID home tests will be available at all building offices and through the building nurse.
COVID-19 vaccination
COVID-19 vaccinations are not required to attend school. Children ages 6 months and older are all eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Children older than 5 are eligible for a booster. For more information, visit ny.gov/vaxtoschool.
Masks
Any student or staff member may wear a mask while at school to prevent the spread of illness. Mask-wearing is recommended for at least 10 days following a positive COVID test, or COVID illness.
Health and safety protocols
Routine cleaning in our school buildings continues to be an important strategy for reducing the spread of illness. High-risk areas such as health offices, classrooms, lunchrooms, athletic rooms, bathrooms and high-traffic areas are cleaned often throughout the day, this includes lunch tables and handrails. High-touch surfaces such as desks, chairs, and light switches are cleaned nightly.
The District monitors the ventilation system and ensures the minimum of four full fresh air exchanges per hour in each room or the use of a HEPA unit. The District utilizes MERV 11 and MERV 13 filters as per the manufacturer settings of the air handling units.
In conjunction with a grant through Albany County Department of Health, each instructional or congregational space within the building will have at least 1 Austin Healthmate air purifier unit.