WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – With school about to open, the new year brings relaxed COVID guidelines.
Governor Hochul announced the state will align its guidelines with the federal Centers For Disease Control, meaning masks and quarantines are no longer mandatory in schools.
The sense that things are returning to normal is a win for students, said parents Chelsie and Casey Rocker, whose children go to Watertown schools.
“They’re not going to miss out so much in school,” they said.
“A lot of the kids last year, especially ours, they missed out of schooL, two weeks, three weeks at a time, – and then when they would show symptoms it was very difficult and a lot to catch up on.
“And the masks, not having to put those on, is going to be a lot easier.”
Classes begin next week at Jefferson-Lewis BOCES, where Superintendent Stephen Todd says COVID will be treated similar to other contagious diseases like the flu.
“I think it’s time for everyone to feel some normalcy, and there’s a noticeable sigh of relief amongst students and staffs and families,” Todd said.
Todd says things like masks, contact tracing and quarantine may no longer be required, but lessons learned during the pandemic are here to stay.
“As much as the two and a half years have been hard on us, we’ve learned things, and from that I think that we have learned to be more mindful of good practices, good common sense,” he said.
Chelsie Rocker says some practices like wearing a mask may have protected her daughter from contracting COVID, .but didn’t prepare her for the other contagious diseases.
“I’m happy that they’re gone. I think they made an impact on the younger kids, especially like our youngest – she’s more sick now since the masks have been gone.”
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