Parents: Shorten student isolation

Frustrated city parents want to cut the quarantine time for COVID-infected students from 10 to five days in light of evolving guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC shortened its recommended isolation period for those with resolving or asymptomatic COVID-19 infections to five days just after Christmas. Gov. Hochul applied that change, but only to essential workers.

While teachers are eligible for the earlier returns as part of the essential workforce, city public-school kids who test positive for the coronavirus are still barred from their buildings for 10 days.

“Time after time, we hold kids to the harshest restrictions possible even while they are the least-impacted segment of the population,” said parent Natalya Murakhver. “Their ability to recover supersedes adults. Yet we are still restricting them and keeping them out of school.”

Quarantine times are becoming especially relevant given rapidly expanded student testing and consequent spikes in COVID-19 cases seen by the Department of Education.

On Monday, the DOE tallied more than 8,000 new student coronavirus infections that will send those kids home for the mandated 10 days.

“Enough with the fear-mongering,” said parent Lisa Marks. “All of the data shows that kids are the lowest-risk group, yet they are given the most restrictions time and time again.”

Queens City Councilman Robert Holden backed up the parents on shortening student isolation stretches.

“There are too many inconsistencies in battling the pandemic, which only undermines the public trust in our government,” he said.