The following message from District Superintendent, Suzanne Guntlow, was emailed to all Ichabod Crane families and staff on Monday, December 7.
Dear Ichabod Families and Staff,
Last week you may have seen that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released new guidelines about shortening the quarantine period for those with direct contact to a positive COVID-19 case. Based on a region’s circumstances, the new guidelines state that quarantine for a direct COVID contact can end after Day 10 without a test if the individual displays no symptoms during that time. They also state quarantine can end after Day 7 if the individual tests negative and displays no symptoms during that time. You can read more about this new guidance on the CDC’s website here.
Despite this announcement from the CDC, local and state public health authorities continue to determine their own quarantine guidelines. As of now, New York State has NOT adopted the new 7-10 day quarantine guidelines from the CDC. This could change but for now New York State’s quarantine period for an individual with direct contact to a positive COVID-19 case remains 14 days, regardless of the circumstances. If NYS does adopt the CDC’s new quarantine guidelines, we will clarify as much in our future communications to families with students who need to quarantine.
Secondly, while Thanksgiving is behind us, the holiday season continues in full force for a few more weeks. Families traditionally spend the school holiday break period traveling and gathering with family and friends outside their household. We know you and many other Ichabod families chose to have a very different Thanksgiving this year in an effort to protect your loved ones and your community. We are so appreciative of that choice and hope you choose to celebrate the remainder of the season in a manner that allows us to keep our schools open.
Thank you for your continued support and understanding during this difficult time.
Sincerely,
Suzanne Guntlow
Superintendent
Ichabod Crane Central School District