New York schools to change virus testing and quarantine rules

New York City will introduce weekly coronavirus testing in all public schools starting next week, Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Monday as authorities attempt to tighten safety protocols.

The city’s powerful teachers’ union on Sunday called on the city to conduct weekly surveillance tests in schools, instead of the current policy of testing students every two weeks.

Mr de Blasio, a Democrat in his final year in office, also announced a change in the quarantine rules: unvaccinated students will not have to be quarantined if they have been in close contact with a student who tested positive – s ‘they were masked and three feet apart. The announcement signaled a relaxation of previous quarantine rules, which required close unvaccinated contact of a student who tested positive in quarantine for 10 days.

The new rules are expected to come into effect on September 27, the same day that a vaccination mandate for teachers and other school staff is expected to come into effect.

Michael Mulgrew, president of the teachers’ union, the United Federation of Teachers, wrote a letter to Mr de Blasio on Sunday calling on the city to step up its testing policy.

“While so far our public schools have successfully reopened, I fear the reduced frequency of Covid testing this year will mean thousands of children will spend days in classrooms without the early warning system that l ‘the past year has made our schools among the safest places in the community, ”Mulgrew said in the letter.