iHealth Demonstration Video from Dr. Mendoza showing the steps to take when using the home test kits provided by the county and state.

 

Additional answers to FAQs regarding the iHealth kits can be found here: iHealth FAQs

 

If you get a positive result from one of those kits, or from a test done at a pharmacy, testing site, or healthcare office, the county is asking you to fill out this online form: https://healthcalls.monroecounty.gov/hometest

 

This form will provide information to you on how long you should stay at home and when you can return to school. It will give you the necessary paperwork in order to come back into the classroom/office after a 5-day isolation period.

 

After filling out all of the information requested, an electronic isolation order will be generated. This information will also serve as your release documentation as your isolation period ends.

 

For home tests, a photo image of your positive test result is required.

This form, or a screenshot or forwarded email of it, should be provided to the school at the end of the 5-day isolation as long as the student/staff member has no fever and their symptoms have gone away or gotten significantly better.

The Monroe County Department of Public Health outlines a few exceptions:

• If you continue to have symptoms you must stay in isolation for up to 10 days. If your symptoms are improving, you can leave isolation and you MUST wear a well-fitting mask for an additional 5 days.
• If you CANNOT wear a well-fitting mask, you must isolate for 10 days.
• If you are moderately - to severely - immunocompromised, you must isolate for 10 days.

 

Yes. Monroe One employees have been eligible to get the vaccine booster shot.

• You can search for appointments at county sites by visiting https://healthcalls.monroecounty.gov/vac/form/boostor by checking with your local pharmacy or doctor’s office. 
• If your appointment falls within the workday, you can receive COVID-related sick leave. 
• Contact your department’s clerical staff for access to the form in Frontline.
• Fill out the form to include date, time, and location of appointment.
• Work with your program to ensure your work responsibilities will be covered during that time.
  
  
  

NYSDOH is requiring all school staff to get tested for COVID every week.  

The DOH defines school staff as:  

all P-12 (public or non-public) school district faculty or staff, including all teachers, substitute teachers, student teachers, school administrators, paraprofessional staff, and support staff, including bus drivers. This determination also applies to contractors working in a P-12 school (public or non-public) or school district setting, including contracted bus drivers.  

  

The DOH defines the testing requirement as:  

P-12 schools are required to ensure teachers and staff, as outlined above, have testing performed for COVID-19 at least once per week when a school is in a geographic area identified by the CDC as having low, moderate, substantial, or high transmission rates. Teachers and staff may be permitted to opt-out of mandatory weekly screening testing if they provide documentation of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19, as set forth in 10 NYCRR 2.62. Teachers and staff who work at multiple schools do not need to receive multiple tests; they may use one weekly test result to demonstrate to any number of schools where they work that they have fulfilled this requirement.

Testing sessions will take place at the Foreman Center.

On Tuesday,  testing will take place from 6:30-9:30 a.m. in E9 and on Wednesdays testing will take place from 2:30-5:30 p.m. in the EMCC lobby.

If you have tested positive within 90 days before a scheduled COVID screening test, please: 

• Send dated proof of your positive test to HR (this can be a screenshot of the results or a doctor’s note, but it will need to include the date) 
• Show up for your scheduled screening testing at Monroe One unless told otherwise by HR 
• Alert the team conducting the testing of your recent positive test and do not get tested
  
  
  

No. At-home tests will not meet the requirement and employees will need to still participate in the weekly testing on site.

Staff will not receive mileage reimbursement, regardless of if the test is conducted on Monroe One’s campus or a county-run site.

As a Monroe One employee, you can opt out of the weekly testing if you voluntarily provide your vaccination status. To do that in a confidential manner, the Human Resources department has developed an electronic form through Frontline: 
 

To access the Confidential Proof of Vaccine Status Upload form:  

• Log into Frontline Central  
  
• Go to My Forms and select Forms I Can Start  
  
• You can scroll through the forms or search by typing ‘Confidential’ and the form should appear  
  
• Click on Start this Form all the way to the right  
  
• Complete all required fields and be sure to upload your proof of vaccine 
  
• This can include a screen shot of your Excelsior Pass, a note from your doctor stating you received your COVID vaccine, or a scanned copy of your vaccine record. 
  
  
  

To access the Confidential Proof of Vaccine Status Upload form:  

• Log into Frontline Central  
  
• Go to My Forms and select Forms I Can Start  
  
• You can scroll through the forms or search by typing ‘Confidential’ and the form should appear (it is titled Confidential Proof of Vaccine Status Upload Form)
  
• Click on Start this Form all the way to the right  
  
• Complete all required fields and be sure to upload your proof of vaccine 
  
• This can include a screen shot of your Excelsior Pass, a note from your doctor stating you received your COVID vaccine, or a scanned copy of your vaccine record.
  
  
  

Contact the Human Resources team.

They can help you with the electronic form or schedule a time to fill it out in person.

The following is a list of approved proof of vaccination (you only need one):   

• a scanned copy of your vaccine card   
  
• a screenshot of your Excelsior Pass
  
• a note from your doctor stating you had the COVID vaccine 
  

 If you do not have any of those items, but are vaccinated against COVID, please contact HR.

Contact the Human Resources team for help in looking up your vaccination status.

You can search ‘Excelsior Pass’ on your iPhone or Android smartphone to download the app directly to your phone, or you can go to https://epass.ny.gov/home to do it online.  

You are eligible to retrieve your Excelsior Vaccination Pass if:  

• It has been 15 days or longer since you received the final dose in your vaccine series and you have not tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 10 days; and  
  
• You have been fully vaccinated in the State of New York OR  
  
• You are a New York resident who has been fully vaccinated in the state of New Jersey OR  
  
• You are a New York resident and your New York State healthcare provider has entered your out-of-state immunization information into the New York State and/or New York City databases.  
  
  

Please note that you must have received one of the COVID-19 vaccines authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States in order to retrieve your Excelsior Vaccination Pass. At this time, this includes the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, which has received full FDA approval, and the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson/Janssen COVID-19 vaccines, which have been authorized for emergency use.

Each Excelsior COVID-19 Vaccination Pass is valid for 365 days. However, during the first roll out, the state set each pass to ‘expire’ after 180 days. This means if you set up the pass in the early spring, the version you downloaded needs to be reconfigured.  
 

Information from the state on how to do this:  

Individuals whose COVID-19 Vaccination Excelsior Pass expires after 180 days or has already expired can update their pass by visiting https://www.epass.ny.gov/home or downloading the NYS Excelsior Pass Wallet App, and follow the step-by-step instructions there.

Yes. Employees will still need to be tested until they complete the full vaccination series. You can then disclose your vaccination status to HR in order to opt out of weekly testing. 

The upload process is completely confidential. However, if you still want to opt out but do not want HR to have a copy of your vaccination record, please contact HR. You can show them your record in person, and they will sign off on your behalf attesting to your vaccine status.

Monroe One employees, regardless of workplace location, will be tested through Monroe One’s program. If a district is asking for your proof of vaccination, please contact the Human Resources department.

To schedule an appointment or to check walk-in availability at a state-run site:

NYS-operated vaccination locations and availability

To schedule an appointment at all other sites, including your choice of which vaccine to receive and where:

Find a COVID Vaccine Near You

iHealth Demonstration Video from Dr. Mendoza showing the steps to take when using the home test kits provided by the county and state.

 

Additional answers to FAQs regarding the iHealth kits can be found here: iHealth FAQs

 

If you get a positive result from one of those kits, or from a test done at a pharmacy, testing site, or healthcare office, the county is asking you to fill out this online form: https://healthcalls.monroecounty.gov/hometest

 

This form will provide information to you on how long you should stay at home and when you can return to school. It will give you the necessary paperwork in order to come back into the classroom/office after a 5-day isolation period.

 

After filling out all of the information requested, an electronic isolation order will be generated. This information will also serve as your release documentation as your isolation period ends.

 

For home tests, a photo image of your positive test result is required.

This form, or a screenshot or forwarded email of it, should be provided to the school at the end of the 5-day isolation as long as the student/staff member has no fever and their symptoms have gone away or gotten significantly better.

The Monroe County Department of Public Health outlines a few exceptions:

• If you continue to have symptoms you must stay in isolation for up to 10 days. If your symptoms are improving, you can leave isolation and you MUST wear a well-fitting mask for an additional 5 days.
• If you CANNOT wear a well-fitting mask, you must isolate for 10 days.
• If you are moderately - to severely - immunocompromised, you must isolate for 10 days.

 

There are three different categories of testing available to your student.

Voluntary weekly screening testing:

Screening testing involves testing asymptomatic individuals for COVID. Health officials see it as a preventive measure to stop the spread of COVID. 

While this is a state requirement for employees, students only need to participate if their parent/guardian wants to voluntarily enroll them into the weekly testing program.

Return-to-School:

This is one of the recommendations recently released by the Monroe County Department of Public Health. It is available for vaccinated and unvaccinated students who are not feeling well, but have not been exposed to COVID. 

Known as “Return-to-School” this will give parents the option to have their student tested at school instead of being sent and kept home. 

Test-to-Stay:

This option is for unvaccinated students who have known exposure to COVID but are not showing any symptoms.

Known as “Test-to-Stay” this is an option for unvaccinated students who have been exposed to an individual who has tested positive for COVID.  

Testing of any sort will only be done with parent/guardian permission. 

The first step a school nurse will take is contacting you to explain your options and get your input. Our nursing staff will also consult with the MCDPH, which may determine a student’s individual needs and circumstances require them to stay at home.

If your student isn’t feeling well but has not been exposed to COVID 

Known as “Return-to-School” this will give parents the option to have their student tested at school instead of being sent and kept home.  

• The purpose of this is to allow students who had symptoms but are feeling better to return to in-person learning.
• On a limited basis, this will be an available option for unvaccinated and vaccinated students who have notbeen exposed to COVID.  
• Parents who do not wish for their student to participate in “Return-to-School" will be required by the health department to pick up their child from school and keep them home until they have a negative PCR test result or remain home for ten days, symptom-free.
  
  
  

How it works: 

• If a student comes to the nurse’s office because they have symptoms often connected to COVID (for example, a headache or stomachache), the nurse will reach out to the parents to see if they would like their child to be tested for COVID on-site.
• If a student is home sick, once symptoms resolve parents will have the option to have their student tested at school when they return.
• This helps rule out the possibility of COVID and won’t require a student to miss more school than necessary. It will also give the nurses and parents the opportunity to explore a different diagnosis.
• A PCR test would be used.
  
  

This option is for unvaccinated and vaccinated students who have no known exposure to COVID and are able to participate in testing and masking protocols.

Testing of any sort will only be done with parent/guardian permission. 

If your student has known exposure but is not showing any symptoms 

Known as “Test-to-Stay” this is an option for unvaccinated students who have been exposed to an individual at school who has tested positive for COVID.  

• The purpose of this is to allow unvaccinated students, who are not showing any symptoms of COVID and are able to wear a mask, the ability to continue in-person learning while in mandatory quarantine by the health department. 
• Asymptomatic, unvaccinated students would be tested daily by the school nurse, for seven consecutive school days after exposure.
• Health officials determined test-to-stay is only for students who had close contact within school.
• Parents who do not want their student to participate in “Test-to-Stay" will be required by the health department to keep their child home for the duration of the quarantine order. 
  
  
  

   How it works: 

• Testing would only occur with parental consent and would involve a rapid Antigen test.
• An unvaccinated student would be tested every day at school for seven school days after exposure.
• A negative test allows them to stay in school, but the MCDPH would require them to quarantine at all other times. 
• A student must be able to consistently wear a mask while inside a school building and while on a bus in order to participate in the “Test-to-Stay” option.
• Vaccinated students who have been exposed to an individual with COVID do not need to be tested daily as long as:
  • they are not experiencing symptoms of COVID.
  • they are able to consistently wear a mask.
    
    

Vaccinated students who are asymptomatic but unable to wear a mask will have the option to participate in a variation of the “Test-to-Stay” program. 

Testing of any sort will only be done with parent/guardian permission. 

 

No. Students are not required to participate in the weekly screening testing. However, Monroe One is offering to test students if the student and their parents/guardian would like to participate. 

Unlike last year, there is no requirement for schools to hit a certain percentage of students to be tested in order to stay open. 

Screening testing involves testing asymptomatic individuals for COVID. Health officials see it as a preventive measure to stop the spread of COVID. 

Monroe One will be using the less invasive, rapid tests, similar to the ones you see at your local pharmacy. This is not a PCR test. 

Families have gotten the electronic form to fill out through ParentSquare. 

Even if you have not registered your ParentSquare account, the information should be available to read in your email inbox. To fill out the electronic form, you will need to sign in.  

To log into your account, visit ParentSquare.com/SignIn and enter the email you provided in your student’s back to school packet. 

You can also download this PDF copy to fill out and return to your student’s school. 

We ask families to return that form by Friday, September 17.  

If you do not want your student tested every week, you do not need to fill out a form.  

Please note: students are not required to participate. Unlike last year, there is no requirement for schools to hit a certain percentage of students to be tested in order to stay open.  

Please contact the main office of your student’s school. 

For students enrolled in the voluntary weekly screening testing, it will be held at the Foreman Center, located at 41 O'Connor Road in Fairport. Parents are asked to bring their student to the testing site before transporting them to school or home.

On Tuesday,  testing will take place from 6:30-9:30 a.m. in E9 and on Wednesdays testing will take place from 2:30-5:30 p.m. in the EMCC lobby.

For "Return-to-School" or "Test-to-Stay" testing, the school nurse will contact parents/guardians with their options ahead of time. 

If your child has tested positive for COVID in the 90 days leading up to a scheduled COVID screening test, please notify your child’s principal before that week's scheduled screening testing and do not have your child tested that week.

To schedule an appointment or to check walk-in availability at a state-run site:

NYS-operated vaccination locations and availability

To schedule an appointment at all other sites, including your choice of which vaccine to receive and where:

Find a COVID Vaccine Near You