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COVID-19 Omicron Update: a Guide for NYC Parents

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COVID Omicron Update: a Guide for NYC Parents

We are all currently or about to be experiencing deja vu with the Omicron variant of COVID hitting NYC hard. Broadway shows are closing; the Radio City Rockettes have canceled the remainder of the season. And now schools have closed with many more soon temporarily go remote – for in just one week, this variant is proving to be highly contagious, and along with the Delta Variant, it is making its mark.

The good news? The CDC has stated, “we have the tools to fight omicron.”

Some parents have learned from the height of the pandemic that we will all be ok even amidst the craziness of being under one roof. And (hopefully) some, if not most of us, are better off than we were in March 2020. We either have become great at juggling remote life and needy kids while we simultaneously get our work done or just have learned to go with it. We don’t have to invent the wheel here. As the mom of two boys, Marina Trejo, recently shared, “I am making sure their teeth are brushed and that they are fed, and by fed, I mean goldfish.” Yup, we all need a little humor these days for we’re going into year two with this pandemic.

The rest of the stuff, like updates and news? We’ve got you covered with helpful links and twitters accounts you should follow.

Daily COVID Case Map

This map can be a bit overwhelming to view, but it will give you an idea of where cases are the highest regarding NYC public schools. Of course, the map changes every day so keep this in mind when viewing it.

COVID-19 Report Card

If looking to dig a bit deeper and would like to know what the cases look like by region, the COVID report card breaks it down and seems to be updated pretty frequently.

How it works via the NYC Department of Education:

A grey dot indicates a member of the school community has tested positive but the school community was not exposed.
A blue dot indicates one or more classrooms closed in a school.
An orange dot indicates one or more classrooms are partially quarantined in a school.
A purple dot indicates a school has one or more non-classroom quarantines.
A yellow dot indicates a school has multiple cases under investigation.
A red dot indicates a school that has transitioned to fully remote for 10 days.

COVID-19 Kits you can buy

We often do at-home tests here at New York Family and found these two tests to be efficient and affordable compared to the many tests hitting the market. The iHealth kit can be purchased via Amazon; they do not come right away but are good to have at home when you are concerned you may have COVID and want to be sure before you head over to one of the long lines that are throughout the city. The BinaxNOW is also easy to use and one of the most popular testing kits but currently cannot be found online. This means you will have to pop over to CVS or your local pharmacy and see if they have any in stock.

iHealth COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test, 2 Tests per Pack

BinaxNOW COVID-19 Antigen Self Test

Free COVID-19 kits to help with the Omicron outbreak are coming soon

It has been a relief for New Yorkers to have COVID testing sites available throughout the city. Still, testing at home is convenient, especially for parents with young kids or kids with special needs where long lines are hard to stand in for hours. NYC is working on giving away free COVID test kids and KN95 masks. The when and how is still in the works; stay tuned with NYC 311 for more information.