HEALTH AND SAFETY

We are looking forward to a new school year of learning and growth.  Below we share our school protocols for the 2022-2023 school year, which we have developed based on joint guidance received from the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) and the New York State Education Department (NYSED).

Please reach out to the Health Office Team at nurse@steiner.edu or 347.289.7279 if you have any questions regarding these protocols.

Health and Safety

Mask wearing will continue to be optional in both of our buildings. We urge everyone to model mutual respect for individual choices and to cultivate an environment where every member of our community may experience a true sense of welcoming and belonging.

Practicing personal hygiene (including regular handwashing) and staying home when any signs of illness (even if you do not think it is related to COVID) remain essential measures.

Those who are a direct contact of someone who tested positive for COVID can continue to attend school. They will have to wear a well-fitting mask (covering nose and mouth) for ten (10) days following the exposure and test on day 5 or sooner if symptoms have developed. The CDC has defined direct contact as someone who was less than 6 feet away from an infected person (laboratory-confirmed or a clinical diagnosis) for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period.  The foregoing applies to all individuals regardless of vaccination status or history of prior COVID infection. In addition, we note that the Test-to-Stay (TTS) program, which established a sequence of testing protocols based on vaccination status, is no longer recommended.
Those who test positive for COVID must isolate (stay home) for five (5) days. They can return to school on day 6 if they have no symptoms or their symptoms have improved and must wear a well-fitting mask for ten (10) after their symptoms began or the positive test date (whichever is earlier).
In both scenarios, a person who cannot wear a well-fitting mask for any reason will have to quarantine or isolate at home for ten (10) days and may not attend school during this time. The Health Office Team will continue to work with community members to assure that this guidance is followed.
 
All visitors must be symptom free and wear a well-fitting mask had they been exposed to someone with COVID. Anyone visiting our campus will be required to fill in a sign-up sheet before entering the buildings.
We continue to strongly urge all eligible adults and students to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and ask that individuals send copies of their vaccination cards to our Health Office Team at nurse@steiner.edu.    

Communications

References and Resources