Schools and COVID: How is it determined who should quarantine?

Schools and COVID: How is it determined who should quarantine?

How do health departments and schools determine who should quarantine when someone within the school tests positive for COVID-19

AND NIAGARACOUNTIES ARECONTINUING TOEVALUATE ANDUPDATE SCHOOLGUIDELINES.

THELATEST -- IS A SO-CALLED "SIXTYMINUTE QUARANTINERULE."OFFICIALS IN BOTHERIE AND NIAGARACOUNTIES ARE STILLFLUSHING OUTGUIDELINES FORSCHOOLS...AND THATINCLUDES THE 60-MINUTE QUARANTINERULE.7 EYEWITNESS NEWSREPORTER OLIVIAPROIA EXPLAINS.ERIE COUNTY HEALTHCOMMISSIONER GALEBURSTEIN SAYSFIGURING OUTCOVID-19 PRACTICESIN SCHOOLS IS BOTHAN ART AND ASCIENCE.GALE: WE HAVE TOTHINK ABOUT THEDISTANCE OFSTUDENTS AND THESTAFF FROM EACHOTHER.

WE HAVE TOTHINK ABOUT IFTHEY'RE WEARINGMASKS.

THE AGEBECAUSE HYGIENEOF YOUNGER KIDSARE GOING TO BEDIFFERENT THAN THEHYGIENE OF OLDERKIDS.

WE HAVE TOTHINK ABOUTDURATION OF THEEXPOSURE, HOWLONG THEY'RESITTING IN THE CLASSTOGETHER.NIAGARA COUNTYPUBLIC HEALTHDIRECTOR DANSTAPLETON SAYSTHAT'S WHY THEREISN'T A ONE SIZE FITSALL APPROACH WHENA COVID CASE POPSUP IN A SCHOOL.DAN: THESE THINGSCOME UP.

THEN WETALK TO THE NEWYORK STATECOMMUNICABLEDISEASE REP ANDTHEN WE'LL MAKETHE BEST DECISIONTOGETHER ON HOWTO HANDLE IT.AS OF RIGHT NOW -THERE ARE TWOOPTIONS:QUARANTINE ANYONEWHO WAS WITHIN SIXFEET OF THE COVID-POSITIVE PERSONFOR LONGER THANTEN MINUTES... ORQUARANTINEEVERYONE WHO WASIN THE SAME ROOMAS THE COVID-POSITIVE PERSONFOR MORE THAN ANHOUR.GALE: IN A REGULARSIZED CLASSROM, IFTHE DURATION OFEXPOSURE WASLONGER THAN 60MINUTES THEN WEARE CONCERNEDTHAT THERE COULDBE SIGNIFICANTEXPOSURE.STAPLETON SAYSTHAT'S EXACTLYWHAT HAPPENED ATTHE MAPLE AVENUEELEMENTARY SCHOOLIN NIAGARA FALLS.

ASTAFF MEMBERTESTED POSITIVEAFTER SPENDINGLONGER THAN ANHOUR IN MULTIPLECLASSROOMS...NIAGARA FALLSSUPERINTENDENTMARK LAURRIE SAYSAFTER CONTACTTRACING, THEHEALTH DEPARTMENTDETERMINED 61PEOPLE WERE ATRISK.

THE SCHOOL ISNOW CLOSED UNTILNEXT WEEK.DAN: YOU MAKE ADECISION ON WHAT'SBEST FOR THECHILDREN.BUT WHEN ST.ANDREWS COUNTRYDAY SCHOOL IN THETOWN OFTONAWANDA HAD ASTAFF MEMBER TESTPOSITIVE ON AUGUST31ST - JUST BEFORETHE START OFSCHOOL- ONLYTHOSE WHO CAMEINTO CLOSE CONTACTWITH THE PERSONFOR LONGER THAN 10MINUTES HAD TOQUARANTINE.

THEPRINCIPAL STILLDECIDED TO DELAYTHE START OFSCHOOL JUST TO BESAFE.DAN: YOU MAKE ADECISION ON WHAT'SBEST FOR THECHILDREN AND MAKESURE THAT WE DON'TTAKE ANY CHANCESON SAFETY FOR THESAKE OF THELEARNINGENVIRONMENT.OP, 7EWN.