Based on clarified guidance from the New York State Department of Health and conversations with the Herkimer County Department of Public Health, Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES and its 10 component school districts will make the following three clarifications to their COVID-19 absence policies to take effect Monday, Oct. 26:
- Individuals sent home with COVID-19 symptoms must be evaluated by a healthcare provider within 48 hours. Unless the individual is evaluated within 48 hours or is awaiting COVID-19 PCR test results, districts must notify the Herkimer County Department of Public Health and the individual may not return to school. The Department of Public Health will initiate contact tracing, make a determination about quarantine and determine when the individual may return to school.
- When a student or staff member is sent home because of COVID-19 symptoms, that individual's household members may remain in school as long as they are symptom-free or until the Department of Public Health directs otherwise.
- The quarantine/isolation period for the individual sent home will be 10 calendar days (instead of the current 14 days) from the onset of symptoms, with the final three days being symptom-free. The Department of Public Health will determine the quarantine/isolation period for other individuals in the household if needed.
The Herkimer BOCES component school districts are Central Valley, Dolgeville, Frankfort-Schuyler, Herkimer, Little Falls, Mount Markham, Owen D. Young, Poland, Richfield Springs, and West Canada Valley.