<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-align:justify;text-indent:0.25in"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><b><i>SENT ON BEHALF OF THE NYS OFFICE OF EMPLOYEE RELATIONS</i></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-align:justify;text-indent:0.25in"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-align:justify;text-indent:0.25in"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">On March 1, 2024, the Center for Disease Control issued updated recommendations addressing protection from respiratory viruses including COVID-19. The recommendations provide consolidated guidance on how individuals can protect themselves and the community from respiratory viral illnesses, such as COVID-19, flu, and RSV, which can cause significant health impacts and strain on hospitals and health care workers. CDC made these updates because we are seeing far fewer hospitalizations and deaths associated with COVID-19 and have greater tools to combat these illnesses. The guidance is available here:  <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/guidance/respiratory-virus-guidance.html" target="_blank">Respiratory Virus Guidance (cdc.gov)</a><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-align:justify;text-indent:0.25in"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><u>The CDC no longer requires isolation</u>. The updated Respiratory Virus Guidance recommends that people stay home and away from others until at least 24 hours after both their symptoms are getting better overall, and they have not had a fever (without the use of fever-reducing medication). Note that depending on the length of symptoms, this period could be shorter, the same, or longer than the previous guidance for COVID-19. It is important to note that the guidance doesn’t end with staying home and away from others when sick. The guidance encourages added precaution over the next five days after time at home, away from others, is over. <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-align:justify;text-indent:0.25in"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-align:justify;text-indent:0.25in"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">In terms of individual strategies, the CDC recommends such actions such as staying up to date with vaccinations and practicing good hygiene by:<u></u><u></u></span></p><ul type="disc" style="margin-bottom:0in;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;margin-top:0in"><li class="m_-4400595032028028158MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin:0in;line-height:15.4px;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:16.8px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">covering coughs and sneezes,<u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="m_-4400595032028028158MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in;line-height:15.4px;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:16.8px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">washing or sanitizing hands often; and<u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="m_-4400595032028028158MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:15.4px;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:16.8px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">cleaning frequently touched surfaces.<u></u><u></u></span></li></ul><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Employees should be respectful of others they work with in the workplace and absent themselves if ill. Nothing in the revised guidance relieves an agency from evaluating and granting, where required, reasonable accommodations.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-align:justify;text-indent:0.25in"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">While leave under Chapter 25 of the Laws of 2020 is still available, it is unlikely that a mandatory or precautionary order of quarantine (which hasn’t been required by the CDC since August of 2022) or isolation will be issued by the state of New York, the department of health, local board of health, or any governmental entity duly authorized to issue such order due to COVID-19. Unless such an order has been authorized, individuals who absent themselves from work must charge appropriate accrued leave credits if they choose to have their absence covered with pay. <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-align:justify;text-indent:0.25in"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-align:justify;text-indent:0.25in"><b><u><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Please note that there has been no change to CDC guidance for health care settings.</span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-align:justify;text-indent:0.25in"><b><u><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><br></span></u></b></p></div><br clear="all"><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><b>HUMAN RESOURCE SERVICES</b></div><div dir="ltr"><font size="2" style="font-size:small">912 Kehoe Building</font><p style="margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><font size="2"><a href="https://maps.google.com/?q=101+Broad+Street+Plattsburgh,+NY+12901&entry=gmail&source=g" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">101 Broad Street</a></font></span></p><p style="margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><font size="2"><a href="https://maps.google.com/?q=101+Broad+Street+Plattsburgh,+NY+12901&entry=gmail&source=g" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">Plattsburgh, NY 12901</a></font></span></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><font size="2">(o) 518-564-5062</font></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><font size="2">(f) 518-564-5060</font></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><b><font size="2"><a href="http://plattsburgh.edu" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">plattsburgh.edu</a></font></b></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><b><br></b></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><img src="https://web.plattsburgh.edu/files/914/images/SUNY-Plattsburgh-Email-Logo-2018.jpg"><br></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><br></p><div><br></div><div><b style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Arial"><font size="2"><a href="http://plattsburgh.edu/hr" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">Human Resource Services webpage - plattsburgh.edu/hr</a></font></b><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>