Situation Report | October 19, 2020
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC DOHMH) has issued a Health Alert on COVID-19 diagnostic testing and screening recommendations for people who live or work in New York City (NYC), including recommendations for home care staff testing.
The following recommendations are in the Alert:
- Individuals living or working in areas with increased COVID-19 activity (see the maps here) should be tested immediately if they have not had a positive test within the last 90 days.
- Home health aides/paraprofessionals in all of NYC, taking into account possible exposures and risk factors for COVID-19, should be tested monthly.
- Other home care agency staff (not listed separately in the guidance) should also be tested monthly if they are in areas of NYC that are experiencing increased COVID-19 activity.
- Home care agencies should offer COVID-19 diagnostic testing to individuals in all of NYC who have COVID-19 symptoms or recent exposure to someone with COVID-19
- Home care agencies should offer monthly COVID-19 screening to individuals in all of NYC who are without symptoms who may have an increased risk for exposure or exposing others.
- For all individuals in NYC who previously tested positive for COVID-19 and remain asymptomatic after recovery, re-testing is not recommended within 90 days of the date of symptom onset (or date of the first positive test if they had no symptoms).
At nyc.gov/COVIDZone, agencies can enter an address or intersection or click on the map to find out whether your staff are in a New York State-designated COVID-19 zone, and get informed about the proper precautions to take for specific activities.