NYSDOH will not issue COVID-19 guidance for schools before start of school year

NYSDOH will not issue COVID-19 guidance for schools before start of school year

TODAY... THE STATE HEALTHDEPARTMENT WILL NOT BE GIVINGTHEM GUIDANCE ABOUT HOW TOSAFELY RE-OPEN SCHOOLS THISFALL.GOOD EVENING.

FOR MORE THAN AYEAR... SCHOOLS HAVE TAKEN THELEAD FROM STATE HEALTHOFFICIALS TO HELP THEMNAVIGATE SAFETY MEASURES.

BUTNOW... THE STATE IS LEAVINGTHEM WITH ONLY ONESUGGESTION..*FOLLOW CDCGUIDELINE*.THE UPDATED CDC GUIDANCE FORSCHOOLS K-12 RECOMMENDS MASKSBE WORN INDOORS BY ALLSTUDENTS, STAFF, TEACHERS ANDVISITORS -- REGARDLESS OFVACCINATION STATUS.

TONIGHT 7EYEWITNESS NEWS SENIORREPORTER EILEEN BUCKLEY --BRINGS US REACTION.}} (:21) (:57) (1:14) "I'MPLEASED THAT IT'S NOT COMINGBECAUSE I ALWAYS HAVE BEEN ANADVOCATE OF LOCAL DECISIONMAKING." NIAGARA FALLS CITYSCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT MARKLAURRIE SAYS THIS IS EXACTLYWHAT HE WAS ASKING FOR --ALLOWING EDUCATION LEADERS TOMAKE THEIR OWN LOCALDECISIONS... STARPOINT CENTRALSCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT SEANCROFT AGREES.} SEAN CROFT."I'D LIKE TO SEE SOMETHINGTIED TO THE NUMBERS IN THECOMMUNITY WHERE WE CANFLUCTUATE AND FLEX AND ADAPTTO WHAT'S GOING ON IN OURCOMMUNITY." STATE HEALTHDEPARTMENT COMMISSIONER DR.HOWARD ZUCKER ISSUING THISSTATEMENT SAYING WITH THE ENDTO THE STATE DISASTEREMERGENCY BACK IN JUNE --DISTRICTS ARE NOW IN CONTROLAND SHOULD FOLLOW CDC ANDLOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTGUIDANCE.

THE ERIE COUNTYHEALTH DEPARTMENT TELLINGSCHOOLS IT WILL REVIEW CURRENTCDC AND AMERICAN ACADEMY OFPEDIATRICS RECOMMENDATIO NSALONG WITH LESSONS LEARNED.....AND WILL SHARE NEXT STEPSSOON.

DR. BURSTEIN.

"WE WANTTHE SCHOOLS TO BE OPEN...ANDWE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CANTO WORK WITH THE SCHOOLS TOMAKE THAT HAPPEN." LAURRIETELLMS ME SCHOOL FAMILIES INNIAGARA FALLS CAN EXPECTPLENTY OF SAFETY PRECAUTIONSIN PLACE FOR IN- PERSONLEARNING.

EILEEN.

"CAN YOU SAYNOW WHAT A CLASSROOM WILL LOOKLIKE?" ===BUTT=== LAURRIE.

"WHEN YOU'RE WALKING IN THESCHOOL, YOU SHOULD HAVE YOURMASK ON.

WHEN YOU'RE AT YOURDESK - SO TO SPEAK, THEN IT'SUP TO YOU -- STRONGLY URGE --STRONGLY RECOMMENDED THAT YOUKEEP THE MASK ON." LAURRIESAYS THERE WILL BE*N* MASKOR SOCIAL DISTANCING MANDATES,HOWEVER HE SAYS STUDENTSRIDING BUSES SHOULD BE MASKED.BUT IT WILL BE A LITTLEDIFFERENT AT THE WEST BUFFALOCHARTER SCHOOL... TODORO."WE'LL HAVE STUDENTS SPACEDOUT THREE FEET APART...WHERELAST YEAR IS WAS SIX...BUT WEWILL GO WITH THE THREE FEETAND WE WILL BE REQUIRING MASKSFOR STAFF AND STUDENTSREGARDLESS OF VACCINATIONSTATUS." SCHOOL LEADER ANDREATODORO TELLS ME SHE'S NOTDISAPPOINTED THAT THERE'S NOSTATE GUIDANCE.

ANDREA TODORO."I'M NOT FRUSTRATED WITH THESTATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT ...I'MFRUSTRATED JUST ON BEHALF OFFAMILIES THAT HAVE BEEN ASKINGAND WONDERING WHAT'S GOING ONBUT IT'S NOT DIRECTED AT THESTATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT." BUTTHE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENTWANTS GUIDANCE FOR SCHOOLS.

ITISSUED A STATEMENT LATETHURSDAY AFTERNOON, SAYINGCOMMISSIONER BETTY ROSA HASWRITTEN A LETTER ASKING HEALTHCOMMISSIONER ZUCKER TOCONSIDER ITS RESPONSIBILITY ASA STATE AGENCY TO PROTECTPUBLIC HEALTH.

EILEEN BUCKLEY,7 EWN.WESTERN NEW YORK'S COVID-19POSITIVITY RATE HAS TA