The City School District of Albany was notified Wednesday of eight new confirmed cases of COVID-19. Cases in which the Albany County Health Department has identified additional contacts are noted below. All positive individuals and any associated unvaccinated contacts are quarantining at home.
Please be aware that every home in the United States is eligible to order four free at-home COVID-19 tests. Orders will usually ship in 7-12 days.
Two cases involve Albany High School. In a case associated with ninth grade, the individual was last in the building Feb. 4. The health department has identified six additional contacts, but two are not required to quarantine as they are fully vaccinated. The second case is associated with 11th grade. This individual was last in the building Feb. 7. The health department has identified four additional contacts, but none is required to quarantine as they are fully vaccinated.
One case is associated with third grade at Delaware Community School. This individual was last in the building Jan. 30.
Another case is associated with fourth grade at Giffen Memorial Elementary School. This individual was last in the building Feb. 4.
Another case is associated with fourth grade at New Scotland Elementary School. This individual was last in the building Feb. 8. The health department has identified seven additional contacts, but five are not required to quarantine as they are fully vaccinated.
Another case is associated with eighth grade at North Albany Middle School. This individual was last in the building Feb. 2.
Another case is associated with fourth grade at Sheridan Preparatory Academy. This individual was last in the building Jan. 19.
Wednesday’s final case is associated with Thomas O’Brien Academy of Science and Technology (TOAST). This individual was last in the building Feb. 8. The health department has identified five additional contacts, but none is required to quarantine as they are fully vaccinated.
Health and safety procedures at all district buildings continue to include cleaning and sanitizing. We will continue with these procedures, and also will continue to follow all required COVID-19 precautions (wearing masks inside all district buildings, hand hygiene, social distancing of 3 feet or more in all classrooms, and other precautions).
We also would like to remind everyone of steps you can take to help be safe:
- Maintain social distance at all times from those you don’t live with.
- Always wear a mask that covers both the mouth and nose when inside at school or when your student is riding a bus to or from school.
- Wash hands with soap and water frequently when out of your home. If you cannot use soap and water, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Don’t touch the eyes, nose or mouth unless your hands are clean.
- DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD TO SCHOOL WHEN THEY ARE SICK OR HAVE SYMPTOMS:
- Signs of COVID-19 are fever, fatigue/tiredness, muscle/body aches or pains, congestion, cough, runny nose, shortness of breath/difficulty breathing, nausea/vomiting or diarrhea, headache, loss of taste or smell, rash, feeling sick or unwell in any way.
- You can find resources here:
- You can pick up a COVID-19 rapid test kit at your school, and the district accepts at-home rapid test results as well.
- You can get an in-person COVID-19 PCR test at two district locations. Click here to find the location most convenient for you.
- You also can get a COVID-19 PCR test by calling the New York State Department of Health COVID-19 Hotline at (888) 364-3065, or Whitney M. Young Jr. Health Center at (518) 407-0172 or (518) 465-4771.
- In alignment with the recommendations of federal, state and local health and medical professionals, the district strongly encourages everyone 5 and older who is eligible and able to get a COVID-19 vaccination.
- You can find information about COVID-19 vaccinations on the Albany County Health Department website:
