Christmas Travel Choices for Health & Safety

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Year of St. Joseph

Dear Catholic School Families,

As Christmas approaches and your family makes plans to celebrate the Birth of Our Lord, we feel it important to remind you once again to continue to make choices that ensure the health and safety of your family and, by extension, your school community. Please familiarize yourself with the updated travel advisory issued by Governor Cuomo on November 3, 2020. City and State leaders continue to urge caution given rising positive test rates and strongly encourage all New Yorkers to avoid non-essential travel.

Any person entering New York State, either from out of state or from a CDC Level 2 or 3 Travel Health Notice country, may adhere to the new State Guidance, which allows an individual to test out of the mandatory 14-day quarantine consistent with Department of Health regulations. This applies to returning New York State residents. The guidelines are as follows:

For travelers who were in another state for more than 24 hours:

• Travelers must fill out the Traveler Health Form upon entry.
• Travelers must obtain a test within three days of departure from the state they were visiting.

• Encourage travelers to identify in advance where they will get tested, both when departing the state they were visiting and when they return to New York.

• Upon arrival to New York, travelers must quarantine for three days.
• On day 4 of their quarantine, travelers must obtain another COVID test.  If both tests come back negative, travelers may exit quarantine early upon receipt of the second negative diagnostic test.

Travelers from the contiguous states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont are not subject to this guidance.

Travelers who leave and reenter New York within 24 hours do not need to obtain a diagnostic test before departing and do not need to quarantine upon return. However, such travelers must fill out the Traveler Health Form upon entry and obtain a diagnostic test on the fourth day after arrival in New York.

If travelers entering New York from a state that is not contiguous, or from a CDC Level 2 or 3 Travel Health Notice country, do not follow the protocols outlined above, including getting both tests, then they are expected to quarantine for 14 days and fill out the Traveler Health Form upon entry.

Given the high number of asymptomatic positive tests, it is incumbent upon families to be diligent and responsible during the Christmas season and through the new year. We offer the following suggestion to keep our school communities as safe as possible. If your family interacts with anyone outside your immediate household, it is recommended that all family members be tested approximately five days after that interaction. Students should also quarantine for 14 days before returning to school. We all have a moral obligation to protect those most vulnerable among us and to keep each other safe, especially our beloved children.

Your responsible decision-making and partnership with our principals in following our guidelines and protocols have made it possible for in-person instruction to continue, and for that, we are most grateful. We remain totally committed to providing five-day in-person instruction.  This can only happen with your help.  We offer the above resources and suggestions as a respectful reminder and to ensure you have everything you need in order to make informed choices for your family’s continued good health.  Please be mindful that our schools are only as safe as the people in them.

Sincerely,

Mr. Michael J. Deegan
Superintendent of Schools
Archdiocese of New York