STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The 2021-2022 academic year is underway, as approximately 1 million students returned to New York City public schools for in-person learning on Monday — and many classrooms across the city, including Staten Island, have already been closed -- or partially closed -- due to coronavirus (COVID-19) cases.
So what happens if there is a positive coronavirus case in your child’s school or classroom?
Positive coronavirus cases are reported to the city Department of Education (DOE) Situation Room, which then investigates and prepares a notification to school staff and families.
Families will be notified if there is a confirmed COVID-19 case in their child’s school, which will include whether your child is considered a close contact.
If your child in’t a close contact, he or she will be able to continue attending in-person instruction.
If your child is a close contact to the positive COVID-19 case, whether a student will be forced to quarantine will be dependent on vaccination status.
If your child is in elementary school
Currently, the coronavirus vaccine is not available to children under the age of 12. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds in the United States in May.
As a result of the vaccine not yet being available to younger students, if there is a positive case in an elementary school class, all students will be required to quarantine for 10 days and will be provided live remote instruction from their teacher throughout the length of the quarantine period.
If your child is in middle or high school
If your child is vaccinated and not symptomatic
Students over the age of 12 who are vaccinated and don’t have any COVID symptoms will not be required to quarantine, and will continue to attend school for in-person instruction. These students are encouraged to get tested for the coronavirus three to five days after exposure “out of an abundance of caution.”
If your child is vaccinated and symptomatic
Students over the age of 12 who are vaccinated, but are symptomatic, will be required to quarantine for 10 days and will be provided with remote learning materials, but will not receive live instruction.
If your child isn’t vaccinated
Middle school and high school students who are unvaccinated will be required to quarantine for 10 days and will be provided with remote learning materials, but will not receive live instruction.
Quarantined students who are unvaccinated can test back into in-person instruction by taking a coronavirus test on Day 5 of their quarantine. If the test comes back negative, students may return on Day 7 of the quarantine period.
In the event of a partial classroom closure, quarantining students will receive office hours for every course in which they are enrolled. Office hours could include individual or small group tutorials, check-ins on assignments and answering questions.
When do schools or classrooms close due to COVID cases?
According to the DOE, schools will be closed only when it’s determined by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) that there is widespread transmission in the school.
The city expects school closures will be limited.
Is there more information about instruction if a student needs to quarantine?
In the event of a full classroom or full school closure, students will receive synchronous (live) remote instruction.
In the event of a partial classroom closure, students who are quarantining will receive asynchronous (self-paced learning that isn’t live) remote instruction, with support from teachers through office hours. Fully vaccinated students (vaccine-eligible students are age 12 and older) who are asymptomatic and not required to quarantine will continue to receive in-person instruction.
The DOE created a table that outlines the type of instruction students will receive in the event of any type of coronavirus-related closure — dependent on vaccination status.
| Student Vax Status | Quarantine Type | Instruction Type |
|---|---|---|
| Unvaccinated | Full classroom | Synchronous remote |
| Unvaccinated | Partial classroom | Asynchronous remote |
| Unvaccinated | Full school | Synchronous remote |
| Vaccinated | Partial classroom | In-person |
Ad Choices