Over the last two years, school closures and unnecessary quarantines have deprived healthy children of the important educational, social, and emotional benefits associated with being at school, interacting with peers, and participating in extracurricular activities.
 
New York State’s outdated quarantine policies are threatening a third straight year of disruptions for no reason. Studies show that more than 99% of quarantined close contacts in New York schools do not subsequently test positive for Covid.
 
Since March 2020, vaccines have been developed that have proven to be effective in preventing serious illness from Covid. In addition, tests have been developed that have proven to be effective in identifying those with Covid.
 
In the U.K. and in several other states such as California, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Utah, public health officials are now using “Test-to-Stay” and “Test-to-Play” programs for close contacts instead of isolating healthy kids for two weeks.
 
Quarantining close contacts in schools may have made sense back in 2020, when tests weren’t available, but they are completely unnecessary today. We can use tests for close contacts to allow healthy children to stay in school/sports and their parents to stay at work.
 
We must act now to keep kids in New York State from being unnecessarily harmed for a third straight year by quarantine policies that no longer make sense.
 
It's time to contact local and state officials to Say No to Quarantining Healthy Children and Say Yes to “Test-to-Stay” and “Test-to-Play” programs.

Join our Facebook Group here to share your student's / athlete's quarantine stories and take further action.