Aug. 13
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention updated their school guidelines ahead of the start of school: People exposed to positive COVID-19 cases are advised to wear a mask for five to 10 days, and testing those without symptoms or known exposure is recommended in instances of high numbers of COVID-19 cases.
“Schools were not the super-spreader that was feared at the beginning of the pandemic,” Melinda McCool, superintendent of McGraw Central Schools, said in an email. This school year, many peak-pandemic era protocols seem to be a thing of the past.
“We aren’t looking at more restrictions right now, because this time around, we have readily available vaccinations,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said on July 11. Hochul did add the absence of indoor masking for students and staff could change, McCool said.
The risk of severe illness is undoubtedly decreased for those vaccinated and boosted according to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, Dr. Philip Heavner, chair of pediatrics for the Guthrie Medical Group, said in an email.
“However, the number of younger children being vaccinated is still below a population level where risk of infection and severe disease would be lower for everyone,” Heavner said.
This is due to the lack of acceptance of the vaccination for younger children, he said. Knowing the actual prevalence of COVID-19 is difficult because testing and the reporting of cases has decreased, Heavner said.
“It is likely that undiagnosed cases or asymptomatic carriers of the virus will expose others at school and drive an increase in illnesses that result in testing and therefore more cases being reported.”
Wednesday
No mask, no booster, and no negative test — SUNY Cortland students arriving for the semester will instead find s'mores, nachos, lawn games, chocolate fountains and a scavenger hunt.
That's a change from last semester, when students needed both a COVID-19 booster and a negative COVID-19 test upon returning to campus.
Though boosters and pre-arrival testing are not required, both are strongly encouraged, shows information from the college. Indoor masking will be required only in healthcare settings, like the Student Health Service, though may be reinstated if recommended by health organizations, according to the college's website.
This year, it seems like the school year will be the old normal. “We do not anticipate a reduction in any activities,” Fred Pierce, director of communications at SUNY Cortland, said in an email.
The residence halls open Thursday. That will be followed by 11 days of activities and information, including trips to the New York State Fair and to play miniature golf.
Many more students than last year are vaccinated, Pierce said, and of course no vaccine was available in 2020.
“All but a handful of exempted students will be fully vaccinated when they arrive," Pierce said. "This was not the case last year.”
Campus policies will follow local and state guidelines, Pierce added. “If the situation regarding the pandemic changes, our policies will change accordingly.”
Friday
Cortland County remained a low risk for coronavirus infection, the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday, as it lowered the risk levels for Cayuga and Onondaga counties.
Cortland County had 43 new cases of COVID-19 between Aug. 11 and Wednesday, giving it a rate of 90.37 cases per 100,000 people, the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.
It had a “low” risk, under CDC guidelines. Under metrics and guidance from the CDC — which take into account the number of new cases in a week, the number of hospitalizations and hospital capacity:
