As of 3/1/24 COVID-19 guidance is now grouped with other respiratory illnesses (flu, RSV.)
The guidance below from the CDC gives practical recommendations and information to help people lower risk from a range of common respiratory viral illnesses, including COVID-19, flu, and RSV.
For frequently asked questions, follow this link.
For more in depth about the update, follow this link.Â
What new evidence has led to this updated Respiratory Virus Guidance?
âś… We have more and better tools and protection to fight serious respiratory illness
âś… Effective vaccines against all three major viruses are now widely available:
âś… COVID-19 vaccines cut the risk of severe disease in half, and over 95% of hospitalized adults were not up to date with their COVID-vaccine in fall 2023.
âś… Flu vaccines similarly cut the risk of severe disease by close to half.
âś… For the first time in fall 2023, we had an immunization against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) for older adults, pregnant people, and young children.
➡ Prior Guidance: Previous COVID-19 guidelines suggested a 5-day isolation period + post-isolation precautions. These were created during the public health emergency with lower population immunity, fewer tools, and higher illness rates.
➡ Updated Guidance: New guidance recommends staying at home until fever-free for at least 24 hours and symptoms are improving and then resuming normal activities using precautions for 5 days. Â
New York State continues to maintain a COVID-19 sick leave law, which requires some employers to provide at least 5 or 14 calendar days (depending on employer size) of (in most cases paid) sick leave related to COVID-19, separate and apart from any other sick time or other paid time off the employer may already provide. Paid Leave for COVID-19 | Paid Family Leave (ny.gov)
If you need an isolation order or release of isolation, fill out the appropriate form below.Â
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- You will automatically receive an email Isolation Notification. This is what you can forward on to your employer as documentation of your need to isolate & not go to work.
- You can use the I need an Isolation Release tab to get an emailed Isolation Release.
- If you performed an at-home self-test, report your positive result to the Essex County Health Department. Once you submit your at-home self-test form you will automatically receive an Isolation Order email & don’t need to complete the form below.
- If the test was done in any way other than an at-home self-test, you do not need to report it to the Essex County Health Department. All tests other than at-home self-tests are reported by the testing provider up through the NYSDOH system and Essex County Health Department receives these results automatically. Â
Updated Guidance: New guidance recommends staying at home until fever-free for at least 24 hours and symptoms are improving and then resuming normal activities using precautions for 5 days. Â
- If you need an Isolation Release, complete an Isolation Release form (next tab)Â when you have met the criteria for release from isolation.Â
If you need a Isolation Release notification, you can complete and submit the form below.
- You will automatically receive an email Isolation Release. This is what you can forward on to your employer as documentation of your release & ability to return to work.