Dear Families,
As we continue to see positive COVID-19 cases on the rise in our region and across the state, we would like to provide you with an update as of today, Dec. 31, 2020.
Wynantskill UFSD is currently not in either a Yellow, Orange or Red Zone. As a reminder, the criteria for each micro-cluster zone is as follows:
- A Yellow Zone is a geographic area (zip code, census tract, etc.) with a 3% positivity rate over the past 10 days AND the cluster is in the top 10% for hospital admissions per capita over the past week and week-over-week growth in daily admissions.
- An Orange Zone is a geographic area (zip code, census tract, etc.) with 4% positivity rate over the past 10 days AND 85% hospital capacity OR the Department of Health determines unacceptably high rate of hospital admissions.
- A Red Zone is a geographic area (zip code, census tract, etc.) that is 21 days from 90% hospital capacity.
As of today, Dec. 31, 2020, the 7-day average positivity rate for Rensselaer County is 9.4%.
While our positivity rates are high enough for our region to be labeled as a micro-cluster zone, the Governor has not yet determined that our region is a micro-cluster zone.
Though we are not currently in a micro-cluster zone, it is likely on its way. We are closely following this data and working with the county to be ready if any part of our community is labeled, as there will be restrictions for schools set forth by the state including testing of 20% to 30% of the in-person students and staff over a two-to-four-week period.
We ask that you please fill out and return the testing consent form as soon as possible so that we can be ready to start testing ensuring our school can remain open should we be labeled as a micro-cluster zone. You can fill out the form and scan it back to our health office in an email to tgibbs@wynantskillufsd.org. Although the form does not have a box to check off “no testing,” please just write “no” somewhere on the form and send it back to us so we can keep our lists updated and confirmed.
Please note that the BinaxNOW Rapid Antigen Test that we will be performing in school is not the deep-sinus nasopharyngeal swab performed in medical facilities. The school tests are a non-invasive swab in the lowermost portion of the nostril. Tests will be administered only by School Nurse Tricia Gibbs. The Gardner-Dickinson School is a satellite testing site of Questar III BOCES. Questar III is an approved Limited Service Lab (LSL), and Questar III has provided test-administration training to Ms. Gibbs. For more information on testing, please refer to our COVID-19 On-Site Testing FAQ.
I would like to personally thank our students, parents and staff for their diligence throughout the pandemic. I am proud of our school community and its ability to pull together when times get tough. As always, if you have any questions, please reach out to me directly.
Sincerely,
Dr. Mary Yodis
Wynantskill UFSD Superintendent