The City School District of Albany was notified Thursday of 12 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.
Six cases are associated with Albany High School.
- Two cases involve people who were last in school Feb. 1. One case involves ninth grade. The health department identified 10 additional contacts with the case; all are vaccinated and not required to quarantine. The other case involves 11th grade. The health department identified 13 additional contacts with the case; of those, 12 are vaccinated and not required to quarantine.
- Two cases involve people who were last in school Jan. 31. One case involves ninth grade. The health department identified 13 additional contacts with the case; of those, five are vaccinated and not required to quarantine. The other case involves 11th grade. The health department identified nine additional contacts with the case; of those, seven are vaccinated and not required to quarantine.
- One case involves a person associated with 11th grade who was last in school Jan. 28. The health department identified 14 additional contacts with the case; of those, eight are vaccinated and not required to quarantine.
- One case involves a person associated with 11th grade who was last in school Jan. 27. The health department identified 10 additional contacts with the case; of those, four are vaccinated and not required to quarantine.
One case is associated with prekindergarten at Albany School of Humanities (ASH), and the person was last in school Jan. 28.
One case is associated with Edmund J. O’Neal Middle School of Excellence, and the person was last in school Jan. 31.
One case is associated with third grade at Giffen Memorial Elementary School, and the person was last in school Feb. 2. The health department identified six additional contacts with the case; of those, three are vaccinated and not required to quarantine.
One case is associated with fourth grade at Pine Hills Elementary School, and the person was last in school Feb. 2. The health department identified five additional contacts with the case; of those, two are vaccinated and not required to quarantine.
One case is associated with third grade at Sheridan Preparatory Academy, and the person was last in school Jan. 28.
Thursday’s 12th and final case is associated with eighth grade at William S. Hackett Middle School, and the person was last in school Jan. 28. The health department identified 16 additional contacts with the case; 12 are vaccinated and not required to quarantine.
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:
