COVID-19 Updates & Informational Links

 

 

COVID-19: Novel Coronavirus

 This page will be updated to reflect the latest info & guidance.

Knowledge is power. Choose not to panic. Choose instead to inform yourself about COVID-19, commonly known as the 2019 Novel Coronavirus.

COVID-19 Hotline: 1-888-364-3065 

COVID-19 Important Announcements

December 7, 2020

Important Message to Parents

Sullivan BOCES was contacted today regarding a student that has self-reported that they have tested positive for COVID-19. This student was last in school on Friday, December 4th.

Out of an abundance of caution, students or staff who are considered an exposure risk will be contacted by Sullivan BOCES. If you are contacted you will be asked to transition to remote instruction. This group of students will continue their instruction remotely until asked to return to a hybrid schedule, based on the guidance we receive from Sullivan County Public Health Services.  If you do not receive a call your child is to continue with their current school schedule. 

At this time, we are working with Public Health to complete contact tracing and will comply with any other directives they may issue. If Public Health identifies any additional exposure risks, those individuals will be asked to quarantine as well. 

If you have any concerns, please contact your principal. 
 

Robert M. Dufour, Ed.D. District Superintendent & Chief Executive Officer 

Precautionary Measures:

There are a number of steps that students, staff and community members can take to minimize the spread of all respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, according to the state Department of Health:  

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Heavily soiled hands should be washed.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Learn How to Wash your Hands

How is the virus spread?

Health experts are still learning the details. Currently, it is thought to spread:

• Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet).
• Via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
• These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.

What are the common symptoms of COVID-19?

People who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 have experienced mild to severe respiratory illness. Most of the illnesses around the world are mild, with fever and cough. A much smaller percentage of cases are severe and involve pneumonia, particularly in elderly people and people with underlying medical conditions.The following commonly reported symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure:

• Fever
• Cough
• Difficulty breathing

Based on guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Key Terms to Understand

• Coronavirus: A large family of viruses that are common in people and many different species of animals. 

• COVID-19: Abbreviation for the coronavirus disease 2019, a disease caused be a novel (or new) coronavirus that has not previously been seen in humans.

• Social Distancing: Measures intended to limit the movement of people in order to interrupt the transmission of infectious, contagious diseases. • Isolation – Separates sick people with a contagious disease from people who are not sick.

• Quarantine: Separates and restricts the movement of people who were exposed to a contagious disease to see if they become sick.

• Community Spread: When people have been infected with the virus in an area and some are not sure how or where they became infected.

• Epidemic: Affecting or tending to affect a disproportionately large number of individuals within a population, community or region at the same time.

• Pandemic: Occurring over a wide geographic area and affecting an exceptionally high proportion of the population.

• Presumptive Positive: Individuals with at least one respiratory specimen that tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19 at a state or local laboratory

Sources: U.S. Centers for Disease Control, Merriam-Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary