A Division of Cornerstone Family Healthcare
In this episode, host Andrew Reid talks with Noelle Ziemans, MSN, FNP-BC, the Chief of Urgent Care at Cornerstone Family Healthcare’s Kaplan Family Pavilion in Newburgh, NY. They discuss what was like working in Urgent Care during the COVID-19 pandemic, staying motivated, and what the future may hold. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your favorite podcasts!
April 6, 2021 –
All New Yorkers age 16 and up are now eligible for the vaccine.
Eligible groups include doctors, nurses and health care workers, people age 16 and over, first responders, teachers, public transit workers, grocery store workers, public safety workers and New Yorkers with certain comorbidities and underlying conditions.
Please visit the New York State website for additional information on eligibility.
For more coronavirus resources, visit this page.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo decreed that domestic travelers will no longer be required to quarantine after entering New York from another U.S. State or U.S. Territory starting April 1st. While no longer required, the NYS Department of Health still recommends quarantine after domestic travel as an added precaution. Mandatory quarantine remains in effect for international travelers. All travelers must continue to fill out the Traveler Health Form. Individuals should continue strict adherence to all safety guidelines to stop the spread – wearing masks, socially distancing and avoiding gatherings.
March 23, 2021 – As of Tuesday, March 23rd, all people aged 50 and above are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccines.
Read more about the vaccines, eligibility and other COVID-19 news on Cornerstone’s website, or visit the New York State official website.
This document provides updated guidance on quarantine for community persons exposed to COVID-19, and how to factor in a person’s vaccination status. This guidance does not apply to vaccinated inpatients and residents in health care settings.
•This guidance aligns the requirements for release from quarantine with the February 10, 2021 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance.
Consistent with recent CDC guidance, asymptomatic individuals who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 do not need to quarantine during the first 3 months after full vaccination, if the following criteria are met:
Individuals who do not meet all 3 of the above criteria and who have been exposed to someone with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 are required to quarantine for 14 days after exposure, or ten days if they meet the criteria for a reduced quarantine. Consistent with previous CDC guidance, there is no testing requirement to end the quarantine if no symptoms have been reported during the quarantine period. However, a test should be sought immediately if any symptoms develop during the fourteen days after exposure.
Consistent with CDC guidance from February 13, 2021, asymptomatic individuals who have previously been diagnosed with laboratory confirmed COVID-19 and have since recovered, are not required to retest and quarantine within3 months after the date of symptom onset from the initial SARS-CoV-2 infection or date of first positive diagnostic test if asymptomatic during illness.
While COVID-19 vaccines have demonstrated high efficacy at preventing severe and symptomatic COVID-19, there is currently limited information on how much the vaccines might reduce transmission, how long protection lasts, and the efficacy of vaccines against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. Additionally, some individuals who were previously infected with COVID-19 have been reinfected at a later time. Therefore, regardless of quarantine status, all individuals exposed to COVID-19 must:
Domestic travelers arriving in New York from non-contiguous US states and territories who are not essential workers and/or who did not complete the testing requirements described in Executive Order 205.2 must quarantine. Asymptomatic domestic travelers to New York can be exempted from quarantine if meet the criteria described previously in this document.
International travelers arriving in New York must comply with all CDC requirements for testing and quarantined after international travel. This requirement applies to all international travelers whether they were tested before boarding, are recovered from a previous COVID infection, or are fully vaccinated.
Consult the latest NYS travel advisory for more information. Guidance on how to quarantine can be found here.
Local Health Departments (LHDs) will continue to identify individuals who may have been exposed to COVID-19. Contact tracing interviews will now include questions about vaccination status and dates. Contact tracers may validate reports of vaccination status in NYSIIS or CIR, the statewide immunization registry, during the interview. Individuals who meet the vaccination criteria listed above do not need to quarantine. Information about the criteria for quarantine exemptions due to immunization status will be included in local quarantine orders from this point forward.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
This guidance applies only to asymptomatic individuals who have been exposed to COVID-19 and who have not tested positive as a result of a recent exposure. Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 must isolate. Information on the criteria and duration for isolation can be found here.
While No Longer Required, Quarantine After Domestic Travel is Still Advised as Added Precaution
Mandatory Quarantine Remains in Effect for International Travelers
All Travelers Covered Must Continue to Fill Out Traveler Health Form Upon Arrival Into New York State
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced that domestic travelers will no longer be required to quarantine after entering New York from another U.S. State or U.S. Territory starting April 1st. While no longer required, the NYS Department of Health still recommends quarantine after domestic travel as an added precaution. Mandatory quarantine remains in effect for international travelers. All travelers must continue to fill out the Traveler Health Form. Individuals should continue strict adherence to all safety guidelines to stop the spread – wearing masks, socially distancing and avoiding gatherings.
“New Yorkers have shown strength and perseverance throughout this entire pandemic, and it shows through the numbers that continue to decrease every day,” Governor Cuomo said. “As we work to build our vaccination infrastructure even further and get more shots in arms, we’re making significant progress in winning the footrace between the infection rate and the vaccination rate, allowing us to open new sectors of our economy and start our transition to a new normal in a post-pandemic world. As part of that transition, quarantine for domestic travelers is no longer required, but it is still being advised as an added precaution. This is great news, but it is not an all-clear for New Yorkers to let their guard down. To beat this virus once and for all we all must continue doing what we know works to stop the spread, including wearing masks, washing our hands and practicing social distancing.”
Regardless of quarantine status, all individuals exposed to COVID-19 or returning from travel must: