COVID-19 Testing, Protocols and Contact Tracing

COVID-19 Testing

Marathon complies with DOH/CDC guidance. The decision of whether a test needs to be conducted should be determined by a healthcare provider or the local department of health. If students and/or staff are mandated by state officials to be COVID-19 tested, the district will work with the department of health to comply.

Cortland County residents who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms should call their doctor, who will coordinate any necessary testing. If you are instructed by a medical professional to get tested, follow their instructions for a sample collection and then go directly to your home and DO NOT LEAVE YOUR HOME, and isolate yourself from your household to the extent possible until you receive results from your provider. For people who don’t have a primary-care physician, they can call Guthrie Cortland Medical Central at (607) 299-7676, Upstate Medical University at (315) 464-3979 or Cayuga’s Call Center at (607) 319-5708. For additional information on COVID-19 Testing Next Steps click here.

The district will develop the capacity (either directly on-site or via referral) to provide diagnostic testing for any students, teachers, and staff who, regardless of vaccination status and community level of transmission per the CDC, are: a) Symptomatic; or b) Asymptomatic following exposure to someone with COVID-19.

Testing Requirement for teachers and staff: P-12 schools are required to ensure teachers and staff, as outlined above, have testing performed for COVID-19 at least once per week when a school is in a geographic area identified by the CDC as having low, moderate, substantial, or high transmission rates. Teachers and staff may be permitted to opt-out of mandatory weekly screening testing if they provide documentation of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Verifying Vaccinations

The district will request voluntary submission of documentation of COVID-19 vaccination status. Staff may present their vaccination card to the school nurse who will keep a copy on file.  Student vaccinations will be available through NYSIIS, and can be retrieved when needed. Lists of vaccinated individuals will be secured and only made available, when necessary, to administrators who will be working with public health to inform prevention strategies, contact tracing efforts, and quarantine and isolation practices. Vaccination information is considered confidential and will be treated as such.

Protocols for Symptomatic Individuals

If a teacher/staff member suspects COVID-related health issues, they are to send the individual to the nurse’s office, where the determination will be made.

Upon entry in the nurse’s office, a student or staff member's temperature will be taken.

The ill student or staff member, if not already wearing a mask, will need to now don a facemask (unless medically unable or not developmentally appropriate).

The nurse may determine the student with symptoms of illness will need to be dismissed to home, and will contact the parent/guardian for prompt pick up of the student. Staff who are ill/symptomatic will be required to contact their Supervisor (or have the nurse contact their supervisor) and go home. Students and staff sent home due to COVID 19 symptoms will be given instructions on return to school protocols as outlined by the NYSDOH.

Students with illness awaiting pick up from school will remain in the nurse’s office until parent/guardian arrival. Administration may need to assist with coordination of gathering student belongings and students exiting the building. No outside guests will be allowed in the building to collect the student.

According to the Commissioner’s testing determination issued pursuant to 10 NYCRR 2.62, all school students, teachers, and staff with new or worsening symptoms of COVID-19 must be excluded from school, regardless of vaccination status, and either (a) provide a negative COVID test result, or (b) remain excluded from school for a minimum of 10 calendar days from symptom onset, prior to returning to school. If student, teacher, or staff symptoms are improving AND they are fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medicines, they may return to school with either a note from the healthcare provider indicating the test was negative OR a copy of the negative test result.

If the nurse is unavailable, ill staff and students will be sent home for follow up with a healthcare provider.

Positive COVID Tests

If a staff member or student reports having tested positive for COVID-19, the school nurse will notify the Cortland County health department and/or Broome County health department (dependent on the county of residency of the individual) to determine steps needed to be taken for the school community.

• The district will assist the public health department in contact tracing for confirmed cases of COVID-19 or will contract trace and notify families if individuals have been exposed.

• The district will follow CDC guidelines for “When a confirmed case has entered a school, regardless of community transmission.” These procedures include coordinating with public health, dismissing students and staff (moving to remote instruction for a short period of time when possible), communicating with staff, parents and students, etc.

• Rooms and spaces in which the sick student or employee inhabited will be closed and not used until after cleaning and disinfection has occurred; opening outside doors and windows to increase air circulation in the area.

• Once the area has been appropriately cleaned and disinfected it can be reopened for use. Individuals without close or proximate contact with the person suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19 can return to the area and resume school activities immediately after cleaning and disinfection.

• All decisions about implementing school-based strategies (e.g., dismissals, event cancellations, other social distancing measures) will be made locally, in collaboration with local health officials who can help determine the level of transmission in the community.

Return to School Procedures

The school will follow CDC guidance and local health department guidelines for allowing a student or staff member to return to school after exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19.

According to the Commissioner’s testing determination issued pursuant to 10 NYCRR 2.62, all school students, teachers, and staff with new or worsening symptoms of COVID-19 must be excluded from school, regardless of vaccination status, and either (a) provide a negative COVID test result, or (b) remain excluded from school for a minimum of 10 calendar days from symptom onset, prior to returning to school. If student, teacher, or staff symptoms are improving AND they are fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medicines, they may return to school with either a note from the healthcare provider indicating the test was negative OR a copy of the negative test result.

• The CDC guidance document defines a close contact as someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person (laboratory-confirmed or a clinically compatible illness) for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period (for example, three individual 5-minute exposures for a total of 15 minutes).

•  Exception: In the K–12 indoor classroom setting, the close contact definition excludes students who were within 3 to 6 feet of an infected student (laboratory-confirmed or a clinically compatible illness) if both the infected student and the exposed student(s) correctly and consistently wore well-fitting masks the entire time. Additional guidance for wearing masks is available from the CDC. This exception does not apply to teachers, staff, or other adults in the indoor classroom setting.

• According to the CDC, people who are fully vaccinated do NOT need to quarantine after contact with someone who had COVID-19 unless they have symptoms. Fully vaccinated people can get tested 3-5 days after their exposure if they have symptoms.

Quarantining and Contact Tracing

Quarantine and close contact – Consistent with CDC guidance, all “close contacts” with someone with COVID must quarantine unless they are fully vaccinated. People who are fully vaccinated do not need to quarantine after contact with someone who is suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19 unless they also present possible symptoms of infection; however, it is recommended that they be tested 3-5 days after exposure and must wear a mask indoors for 14 days or until they receive a negative diagnostic test result. In general, a “close contact” is anyone who was within 6 feet of an infected person (laboratory-confirmed or a clinically compatible illness) for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period (for example, three individual 5-minute exposures for a total of 15 minutes). However, in the P-12 indoor classroom setting, the CDC specifies that students who were within 3 to 6 feet of an infected student where both students were engaged in consistent and correct use of well-fitting masks are not considered close contacts. This exception to the close contact definition does not apply to teachers, staff, or other adults in the indoor classroom setting.

Marathon CSD cooperates with state and local health department contact tracing when deemed necessary. We assist public health departments in knowing who may have had contact at school with a confirmed case by:

• Keeping accurate attendance records of students and staff members;

• Ensuring student schedules are up to date;

• Keeping a log of any visitors which includes date, time and where in the school they visited.

• Maintaining confidentiality as required by federal and state laws and regulations.