Feb. 1 COVID-19 cases

City School District of Albany

The City School District of Albany was notified Tuesday of 22 new confirmed cases of COVID-19. Cases in which the Albany County Health Department has identified additional contacts are noted below. All positive individuals and any associated unvaccinated contacts are quarantining at home. 

Please be aware that every home in the United States is eligible to order four free at-⁠home COVID-⁠19 tests. Orders will usually ship in 7-12 days.

Five cases are associated with Albany High School.

  • Two cases involve people who were last in school Jan. 28. One case involves 12th grade. The health department identified 11 additional contacts with the case; of those, six are vaccinated and not required to quarantine. The other case involves a person who is not associated with a particular grade.
  • One case involves 11th grade, and the person was last in school Jan. 27.
  • Another case involves 11th grade, and the person was last in school Jan. 26.
  • One case involves 12th grade, and the person was last in school Jan. 25.

Two cases are associated with Edmund J. O’Neal School of Excellence.

  • One case involves first grade, and the person was last in school Feb. 1. The health department identified two additional contacts with the case; one is vaccinated and not required to quarantine.
  • The other case involves prekindergarten, and the person was last in school Jan. 28.

One case is associated with fifth grade at Philip J. Schuyler Achievement Academy. The health department identified 37 additional contacts with the case; of those, four are vaccinated and not required to quarantine.

Three cases are associated with Pine Hills Elementary School.

  • One case involves fourth grade, and the person was last in school Jan. 28. The health department identified seven additional contacts with the case; three are vaccinated and not required to quarantine.
  • One case involves kindergarten, and the person was last in school Jan. 27.
  • One case involves third grade, and the person was last in school Jan. 25.

Two cases are associated with Stephen and Harriet Myers Middle School, and both people were last in school Jan. 28. One case involves seventh grade and the other case involves eighth grade.

Eight cases are associated with Thomas O’Brien Academy of Science and Technology (TOAST). One kindergarten class has shifted to distance learning through the end of the week.

  • Two cases involve people who were last in school Feb. 1. Both are associated with kindergarten. The health department identified a total of 16 additional contacts for both cases; three are vaccinated and not required to quarantine.
  • Three cases involve people who were last in school Jan. 31. Two are associated with kindergarten. The health department identified a total of 10 additional contacts for both cases; of those, three are vaccinated and not required to quarantine. The third case involves fourth grade. The health department identified 18 additional contacts with the case; one is vaccinated and not required to quarantine.
  • Two cases involve people who were last in school Jan. 24. One involves second grade and the other involves third grade.
  • One case involves a person associated with kindergarten who was last in school Jan. 21.

Tuesday’s 22nd and final case involves sixth grade at William S. Hackett Middle School, and the person was last in school Jan. 31.

Health and safety procedures at all district buildings continue to include cleaning and sanitizing. We will continue with these procedures, and also will continue to follow all required COVID-19 precautions (wearing masks inside all district buildings, hand hygiene, social distancing of 3 feet or more in all classrooms, and other precautions).

We also would like to remind everyone of steps you can take to help be safe:

  1. Maintain social distance at all times from those you don’t live with.
  2. Always wear a mask that covers both the mouth and nose when inside at school or when your student is riding a bus to or from school.
  3. Wash hands with soap and water frequently when out of your home. If you cannot use soap and water, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
  4. Don’t touch the eyes, nose or mouth unless your hands are clean.
  5. DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD TO SCHOOL WHEN THEY ARE SICK OR HAVE SYMPTOMS:
  • Signs of COVID-19 are fever, fatigue/tiredness, muscle/body aches or pains, congestion, cough, runny nose, shortness of breath/difficulty breathing, nausea/vomiting or diarrhea, headache, loss of taste or smell, rash, feeling sick or unwell in any way. 
  • You can pick up a COVID-19 rapid test kit at your school, and the district accepts at-home rapid test results as well.
  • You can get an in-person COVID-19 PCR test at six district locations. Click here to find the location most convenient for you. 
  • You also can get a COVID-19 PCR test by calling the New York State Department of Health COVID-19 Hotline at (888) 364-3065, or Whitney M. Young Jr. Health Center at (518) 407-0172 or (518) 465-4771. 
  • In alignment with the recommendations of federal, state and local health and medical professionals, the district strongly encourages everyone 5 and older who is eligible and able to get a COVID-19 vaccination.