ALBANY — Gov. Andrew Cuomo this week provided state guidance for school districts across New York to remain open, despite the spread of infection through the communities in which they are located.
“If the children are safer in the school than they are on the streets of the community, then children should be in school,” Cuomo said. “That is my opinion, but it is up to the school districts to decide.”
Since the start of the school year, just over 1,250 students and 600 teachers and staff have tested positive for COVID-19 in the Capital Region.
Cuomo specified that in counties with a greater than 9% positive test rate, if testing in schools show a lower rate of infection than the community average, then the schools may remain open.
Saratoga County specifically began the new year with a 7-day average positive rate of about 11% in the community. Infections in specific school districts may be searched via the state’s Covid-19 Report Card website at: schoolcovidreportcard.health.ny.gov/#/home.
Regarding vaccine progress, Cuomo said 288 of the 688 facilities enrolled in the Federal nursing home program in New York State have completed the first dose of vaccines for their residents. An additional 234 facilities are slated for their first doses to be administered this week, and the balance of residents are anticipated to be vaccinated over the next two weeks.
