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COVID-19: NY Rolls Back Contact Tracing Requirements For Local Health Departments COVID-19: NY Rolls Back Contact Tracing Requirements For Local Health Departments
Covid-19: NY Rolls Back Contact Tracing Requirements For Local Health Departments New York State will no longer require local health departments to perform contact tracing of positive COVID-19 cases amid the rise of the Omicron variant that has been rapidly spreading in record numbers. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and acting Department of Health Commissioner Mary Bassett announced on Tuesday, Jan. 11 that with the recent unprecedented rise of new infections, it has become impractical for officials to allocate resources toward contact tracing. Previously, New Yorkers who tested positive for COVID-19 were contacted by state or local health officials who questioned them about…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: 11 New Cases Reported At School District In Area COVID-19: 11 New Cases Reported At School District In Area
Covid-19: 11 New Cases Reported At School District In Area With the holiday break fast approaching, an area school district is dealing with a new outbreak of COVID-19 cases among students and staff as New York contends with the winter surge of infections. In Rockland County, the South Orangetown Central School District issued an alert to the community advising that there were 11 newly confirmed COVID-19 infections reported within the district. The 11 cases were reported in these schools: South Orangetown Middle School: Four, which were reported between Tuesday, Dec. 14 and Friday, Dec. 17; William O. Schaefer Elementary School: Three, which were …

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: CDC Releases New Guidance, Strategies For Reopening Schools COVID-19: CDC Releases New Guidance, Strategies For Reopening Schools
Covid-19: CDC Releases New Guidance, Strategies For Reopening Schools The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is encouraging schools and school districts to reopen safely and has just released new guidance for doing just that. On Friday, Feb. 12, the CDC unveiled the new science-based plan. “It is critical for schools to open as safely and as soon as possible, and remain open, to achieve the benefits of in-person learning and key support services,” health officials said. “To enable schools to open safely and remain open, it is important to adopt and consistently implement actions to slow the spread of COVID in schools and in the community.” The…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: New Positive Case Reported At High School In Westchester COVID-19: New Positive Case Reported At High School In Westchester
Covid-19: New Positive Case Reported At High School In Westchester A Westchester high school is set to reopen for in-person learning this week despite a newly confirmed positive COVID-19 case in a student or staffer. Irvington Schools Superintendent Kristopher Harrison issued an alert on Thursday, Jan. 14 advising that a member of the Irvington High School community has tested positive for the virus. Despite the new case, Harrison announced that Irvington High School will be reopening for in-person learning, as scheduled, on Friday, Jan. 15. Harrison said that anyone who may have been exposed has been notified by a school staff member during contact traci…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: New Alert Issued For Exposure At Restaurant In Area COVID-19: New Alert Issued For Exposure At Restaurant In Area
Covid-19: New Alert Issued For Exposure At Restaurant In Area Health authorities have issued a new alert for COVID-19 exposure at a restaurant in the area. Sullivan County Public Health Services has confirmed that an employee who works at Cellaio, a restaurant in the Town of Thompson, tested positive for COVID-19.  There is currently no indication that the employee contracted the virus at the restaurant or impacted anyone else, the department said. Public Health Services has determined that this individual was working at Cellaio, located at 888 Resorts World Drive in Monticello, during the following dates and times: • Thursday, Nov. 26 between…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: Alert Issued For Exposure At Area Diner COVID-19: Alert Issued For Exposure At Area Diner
Covid-19: Alert Issued For Exposure At Area Diner Customers and employees at a popular Hudson Valley diner may have been exposed to COVID-19 after a fellow patron tested positive for the virus. The Sullivan County Department of Health Services issued an alert advising that a patron at the Liberty Diner on Sullivan Avenue in Liberty could have potentially exposed over a stretch of five days last month. According to the Department of Health Services, anyone who was at the diner between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. between Saturday, Nov. 21 and Wednesday, Nov. 25 could have been exposed, despite the restauranteurs taking COVID-19 precautions. “The rest…

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by Zak Failla
Business
COVID-19: Alert Issued For Exposure At Area Store COVID-19: Alert Issued For Exposure At Area Store
Covid-19: Alert Issued For Exposure At Area Store A pair of employees at a Sullivan County dollar store have tested positive for COVID-19 and could have exposed other employees or customers. Sullivan County Public Health Services Director Nancy McGraw announced that two employees at the Dollar General on Glen Wild Road in Rock Hill have tested positive, prompting officials to begin contact tracing to determine who may have been exposed. Anyone who was at Dollar General between Sunday, Nov. 15 and Wednesday, Nov. 18 could potentially be infected. “Both employees and customers may have been exposed to COVID-19,” McGraw said. “If someone thi…

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by Zak Failla
Business
COVID-19: Alert Issued For Exposure At Popular Area Restaurant COVID-19: Alert Issued For Exposure At Popular Area Restaurant
Covid-19: Alert Issued For Exposure At Popular Area Restaurant Customers and employees at an area restaurant may have been exposed to COVID-19 following newly confirmed positive cases. The Sullivan County Department of Health Services issued an alert advising that at least four COVID-19 cases have been traced back to Peppino’s Restaurant on Lower Main Street in Callicoon. Anyone who was at the restaurant during business hours between Sunday, Nov. 14 and Tuesday, Nov. 17 has been instructed to self-quarantine and to get tested for COVID-19 if they develop symptoms. “Four employees have tested positive thus far, and we anticipate there will be more ca…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Alert Issued For Exposure At Area Church COVID-19: Alert Issued For Exposure At Area Church
Covid-19: Alert Issued For Exposure At Area Church Attendees at two separate Sunday masses at a Rockland County church may have been exposed to COVID-19, health officials are cautioning. Upwards of 225 people who attended the 10:15 a.m. and noon masses at St. Francis of Assisi Church in West Nyack on Sunday, Nov. 8 potentially may have been advised to contact the Rockland County Department of Health after a staff member at the church tested positive for the virus. Once health officials are notified of possible exposures, they will begin to contact trace and advise anyone who was near the infected parties to self-quarantine. Officials said …

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: Students, Staffers Told To Stay Home After New Positive Test At Westchester School COVID-19: Students, Staffers Told To Stay Home After New Positive Test At Westchester School
Covid-19: Students, Staffers Told To Stay Home After New Positive Test At Westchester School Students and staffers in a Westchester school have been instructed to stay home after receiving a newly confirmed COVID-19 case. Interim New Rochelle Schools Superintendent Alex Marrero issued a letter to the community late on Sunday, Nov. 8 to caution that a student at the Daniel Webster Magnet School tested positive for the virus. Marrero said the student was in “Cohort B” and was last in the building on Friday, Nov. 5. Any classmates of the students were notified on Sunday night, and nine staff members who may have been in close contact with the student between Wednesday, Nov. 3, and N…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: School Goes Remote After Positive Test In Hudson Valley COVID-19: School Goes Remote After Positive Test In Hudson Valley
Covid-19: School Goes Remote After Positive Test In Hudson Valley Another school in the Hudson Valley was forced to revert back to remote learning after a positive COVID-19 case was confirmed. Acting Schools Superintendent Dwight Bonk issued a letter to parents on Friday, Nov. 6 cautioning that the district was made aware of a person inside the Wappingers Junior High School community tested positive for the virus. Bonk said the person who tested positive is in isolation, and contact tracing has begun. The infected person was last in the Junior High School building on Monday, Nov. 2. In response to the positive test, Bonk said that Wappingers Junior High…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: School Closes, 20 Quarantined After Two Students Test Positive In Area COVID-19: School Closes, 20 Quarantined After Two Students Test Positive In Area
Covid-19: School Closes, 20 Quarantined After Two Students Test Positive In Area Another Hudson Valley school will temporarily transition back to remote learning after a second student tested positive for COVID-19. Monroe-Woodbury Central School District officials announced that two students have tested positive at the middle school, forcing 20 students and staffers into temporary quarantine as they conducted contact tracing. As a result of the uptick in cases, the Monroe-Woodbury Middle School switched to distance learning for the remainder of the week, with students and teachers returning to the classroom on Monday, Nov. 9. Related story - COVID-19: High Schoo…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: High School In Area Closes After Large Halloween Weekend Gathering COVID-19: High School In Area Closes After Large Halloween Weekend Gathering
Covid-19: High School In Area Closes After Large Halloween Weekend Gathering A Hudson Valley high school has been forced to transition to remote learning for two weeks after multiple new COVID-19 cases were linked to a large Halloween weekend gathering. Nanuet School Superintendent Kevin McCahill announced on Tuesday, Nov. 3 that a large weekend gathering attended by multiple students will keep them out of the classroom and switching to distance learning through at least Monday, Nov. 16. The nature of the gathering is unclear, though the Rockland County Department of Health has already connected multiple COVID-19 cases to the event. The number of newly confirmed cas…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: High School In Northern Westchester Closes After Cases Linked To Social Event COVID-19: High School In Northern Westchester Closes After Cases Linked To Social Event
Covid-19: High School In Northern Westchester Closes After Cases Linked To Social Event A high school in Northern Westchester has closed for in-person learning for the remainder of the week due to several cases of COVID-19 linked to a social event. Dr. Jen Lamia, Superintendent of Schools for the Byram Hills Central School District in Armonk made the announcement in an email to the community Wednesday night, Oct. 27, stating that Byram Hills High School will be on a remote schedule Wednesday, Oct. 28, Thursday, Oct. 29, and Friday, Oct. 30. "The district has just learned of two more positive COVID-19 cases, totaling four, at the high school, linked to a social event …

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by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: Two Schools In Northern Westchester Close After Positive Case COVID-19: Two Schools In Northern Westchester Close After Positive Case
Covid-19: Two Schools In Northern Westchester Close After Positive Case Two schools in Northern Westchester are closed for in-person learning after COVID-19 exposure. The Somers Central School District announced Sunday night, Oct. 25 that both Somers High School and Somers Middle School have switched to remote learning for Monday, Oct. 26 and Tuesday, Oct. 27, unless otherwise insructed by the Westchester County Department of Health. The news comes after it was confirmed that an individual with the COVID 19 virus was discovered to be present at both the Somers Middle School and the Somers High School while infectious.  Contact tracing efforts are un…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: Nearly 200 Quarantine After Student Tests Positive At High School In Westchester COVID-19: Nearly 200 Quarantine After Student Tests Positive At High School In Westchester
Covid-19: Nearly 200 Quarantine After Student Tests Positive At High School In Westchester A potential super-spreader situation led to nearly 200 people entering a temporary quarantine after a high school student in the area tested positive for COVID-19. School officials in Westchester County at the Harrison School District announced that the student was last in the building on Friday, Oct. 9. The student became symptomatic on Sunday, Oct. 11, and received a COVID test on Wednesday, Oct. 14. The results weren’t shared with the district until this week. Following the notice of the positive case, the district and county Department of Health conducted contact tracing, leading to 1…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: New Positive Case Confirmed At School In Westchester COVID-19: New Positive Case Confirmed At School In Westchester
Covid-19: New Positive Case Confirmed At School In Westchester A positive COVID-19 case has been confirmed at a school in the Hudson Valley. The Port Chester-Rye Union Free School District reported early Monday evening, Oct. 19 that an individual with COVID-19 was at John F. Kennedy Elementary School while infectious.  The exposed individuals must quarantine for 14 days from the last exposure date and should be tested for COVID-19 five days after the last exposure.  "By law, we must maintain this person’s confidentiality, which prevents us from further identifying the individual and his/her reason for being in the school," the district …

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by Joe Lombardi
Schools
COVID-19: Marist College Reinstates In-Person Classes After Rash Of Cases COVID-19: Marist College Reinstates In-Person Classes After Rash Of Cases
Covid-19: Marist College Reinstates In-Person Classes After Rash Of Cases A moratorium on in-person classes spurred by a rash of COVID cases on campus will be lifted at Marist College after a week-long lockdown. "Although New York State requires colleges to move classes online if they reach a threshold of 100 cases or 5 (percent) of the campus population, Marist erred on the side of caution and paused campus activities with a significantly lower number of cases," read a letter to students sent on Friday, Oct. 16 to announce resuming in-person classes. "During the pause, the College placed the Fulton Townhouses under precautionary quarantine and conducted more than…

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by Christina Coulter
News
COVID-19: Marist College's Campus-Wide Pause Extended Again COVID-19: Marist College's Campus-Wide Pause Extended Again
Covid-19: Marist College's Campus-Wide Pause Extended Again Marist College has informed students that a campus-wide pause of in-person classes, visitation from those not living on-campus and activities, after nine active COVID cases linked to an illicit off-campus party multiplied to 29, according to the Marist College COVID Dashboard and student reporting from the Marist Circle.  Initially, all classes for Marist students on Friday, Oct. 9 and Saturday, Oct. 10 were conducted online, according to a letter sent to students by college Vice President Geoff Brackett on Oct. 8.  However, contact tracing on campus led to the identification and …

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by Christina Coulter
Schools
COVID-19: New Hudson Valley Elementary School Goes Remote After Students Test Positive COVID-19: New Hudson Valley Elementary School Goes Remote After Students Test Positive
Covid-19: New Hudson Valley Elementary School Goes Remote After Students Test Positive An elementary school in Westchester will be transitioning to its remote learning model after two students already in isolation due to COVID-19 began experiencing mild symptoms. Eric Rauschenbach, the Assistant Superintendent for Special Education and Student Services at the Scarsdale School District announced that the Quaker Ridge Elementary School will be temporarily closed down due to students and staff that need to quarantine due to possible exposure. Before going remote on Thursday, Oct. 15, Quaker Ridge had been utilizing its hybrid learning model, with two alternating cohorts attendin…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Iona College Goes Remote After Outbreak Of 60 New Cases COVID-19: Iona College Goes Remote After Outbreak Of 60 New Cases
Covid-19: Iona College Goes Remote After Outbreak Of 60 New Cases There has been an outbreak of COVID-19 at Iona College that has been to a single event. New Rochelle officials warned that there have been more than 60 confirmed COVID-19 cases, confined to the student body, with no indication of a spread to the community. In response, Iona has been working with Westchester County and the state to contact trace and quarantine the affected students.  The college is also transitioning to remote learning for at least two weeks amid the outbreak. “Late last week, Iona’s surveillance testing identified an uptick in positive COVID-19 cases among certain at…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Alert Issued For Exposure At Westchester Church COVID-19: Alert Issued For Exposure At Westchester Church
Covid-19: Alert Issued For Exposure At Westchester Church An alert has been issued for potential exposure to COVID-19 for those who visited a church in Westchester. A person who tested positive for COVID-19 attended a confirmation ceremony at Holy Rosary Roman Catholic Church on Bradhurst Avenue in Hawthorne on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 10:30 a.m. Everyone who attended rehearsals on Friday, Sept. 25, the confirmation ceremony, wedding ceremony and evening mass on Saturday are advised to consult with your doctor, the church said. Masses and baptisms scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 27 were suspended while the church was sanitized. Regular mass schedu…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: High School In Northern Westchester Temporarily Closes After Exposure COVID-19: High School In Northern Westchester Temporarily Closes After Exposure
Covid-19: High School In Northern Westchester Temporarily Closes After Exposure A Northern Westchester high school will be closed through the rest of the week after there was COVID-19 exposure. Somers Schools Superintendent Raymond Blanch issued a letter to parents on Thursday, Sept. 24 advising of the positive COVID-19 test in the high school, and that the district will be transitioning to remote learning for the rest of the week. Students were dismissed from Somers High School early on Thursday, and the building will remain closed for 48 hours to allow crews to sanitize and disinfect spaces the exposed person may have frequented. Blanch said that the district is wor…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: New Schools In Area Transition To Remote Learning After Staffer Tests Positive COVID-19: New Schools In Area Transition To Remote Learning After Staffer Tests Positive
Covid-19: New Schools In Area Transition To Remote Learning After Staffer Tests Positive Another Hudson Valley school district was forced to temporarily transition to its remote learning model after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19. On Tuesday, Sept. 22, Greenwood Lake Union Free Schools Superintendent Sarah Hadden alerted parents that a staff member tested positive for the virus, and that she was closing down the elementary and middle schools for a day, with students learning from a distance. This is the third Orange County school district to report positive COVID-19 cases since classes resumed earlier this month. The staff member that tested positive works at the …

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: New Positive Case Confirmed At High School In Westchester COVID-19: New Positive Case Confirmed At High School In Westchester
Covid-19: New Positive Case Confirmed At High School In Westchester There has been a newly confirmed COVID-19 case at a school district in Westchester. The Mamaroneck School District announced that one person at the high school tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, Sept. 14, though the person wasn't in the building on Tuesday, Sept. 15. Earlier story - COVID-19: Positive Case Reported At School District In Westchester Due to privacy laws, the district is not permitted to say whether the positive case was a student or staff member.  The positive COVID-19 case was confirmed by the state Health Department’s Schools COVID-19 “Report Card.” Rela…

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by Zak Failla
Business
COVID-19: Alert Issued For Callers Posing As Contact Tracers To Get Credit, Bank Account Info COVID-19: Alert Issued For Callers Posing As Contact Tracers To Get Credit, Bank Account Info
Covid-19: Alert Issued For Callers Posing As Contact Tracers To Get Credit, Bank Account Info Don’t fall for it. Fraudsters have been making the rounds, looking to take advantage of the COVID-19 crisis, posing as contact tracers seeking personal information from suspect victims amid the pandemic. Since the outbreak began six months ago, contact tracing has become a vital tool as health officials seek to identify positive COVID-19 cases, tracing back to the people they’ve been in contact with and isolating them to help curtail the spread of the virus. Recently, some state and federal officials issued a warning that some scammers have been posing as contact tracers, using that faux i…

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by Zak Failla
Sports
COVID-19: Here's State Guidance On Reopening Gyms, Fitness Centers COVID-19: Here's State Guidance On Reopening Gyms, Fitness Centers
Covid-19: Here's State Guidance On Reopening Gyms, Fitness Centers When gyms and fitness centers in New York State reopen next week, they will have a new look due to certain COVID-19 restrictions required by the state. New York State has released guidance on how gyms and fitness centers can safely reopen as of Monday, Aug. 24 once they’ve been inspected by local officials to ensure they are in compliance with state guidelines. Original story - COVID-19: NY Gyms, Fitness Centers Given Green Light To Reopen With Certain Restrictions When gyms open, they can only do so to 33 percent of its maximum capacity, including employees and patrons, all of whom will b…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: NY Gyms, Fitness Centers Given Green Light To Reopen With Certain Restrictions COVID-19: NY Gyms, Fitness Centers Given Green Light To Reopen With Certain Restrictions
Covid-19: NY Gyms, Fitness Centers Given Green Light To Reopen With Certain Restrictions To the relief of many fitness buffs, New York gyms have been given the green light to reopen under strict COVID-19 restrictions. During a COVID-19 briefing on Monday, Aug. 17 in Manhattan, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that gyms and fitness centers can reopen as of Monday, Aug. 24, provided certain safety guidelines are followed. Once open, patrons will have to wear face coverings at all times, and gyms can only open up to 33 percent capacity. It will be up to local governments to determine whether or not gyms can hold indoor classes. The state has also mandated specific ventilation uni…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: Cuomo Aide Responds After Some Schools Say They Did Submit In-Person Reopening Plans COVID-19: Cuomo Aide Responds After Some Schools Say They Did Submit In-Person Reopening Plans
Covid-19: Cuomo Aide Responds After Some Schools Say They Did Submit In-Person Reopening Plans There has been some confusion over whether or not some school districts in New York have or have not submitted their reopening plans to the Department of Health as they prepare to reopen for in-person learning. Before reopening, all 749 school districts in New York had to submit their reopening plan that includes guidance on how they plan to handle potential remote learning, testing, and contact tracing for teachers and students. During a conference call on Monday, Aug. 10, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said more than 100 school districts have yet to submit reopening plans, setting a deadline …

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: All NY Schools Can Reopen Classrooms, Must Post Plans, Brief Parents, Cuomo Says COVID-19: All NY Schools Can Reopen Classrooms, Must Post Plans, Brief Parents, Cuomo Says
Covid-19: All NY Schools Can Reopen Classrooms, Must Post Plans, Brief Parents, Cuomo Says New York’s COVID-19 infection rate has stayed steady and as a result, schools across the state have been authorized to reopen, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced. During a COVID-19 conference call with the news media on Friday, Aug. 7, Cuomo said that every region is below the threshold established by the state Department of Health, allowing students and teachers to return to the classroom for the upcoming academic year. The Health Department previously announced that school districts in New York can prepare plans to reopen for in-person schooling in September if COVID-19 infection rates stay at …

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: NY Teachers Union Wants Clear Protocols, Citing Summer School Outbreak In Westchester COVID-19: NY Teachers Union Wants Clear Protocols, Citing Summer School Outbreak In Westchester
Covid-19: NY Teachers Union Wants Clear Protocols, Citing Summer School Outbreak In Westchester Citing an outbreak that stemmed from a summer school program in Westchester County, the New York Teachers Union has new demands before classrooms potentially reopen in the fall amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The union demanded this week that state health officials issue clear protocols for how and when school districts must close their buildings, and how health officials will perform contact tracing and initiate quarantines in the event of a positive COVID-19 case in a school this fall. In the event of a positive COVID-19 case in a school, the unions are calling for the closure of that buildin…

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by Zak Failla