COVID-19 Update
November 4, 2020

Travel Advisory "Test Out" Guidelines
Governor Cuomo announced new guidelines allowing out-of-state travelers to New York to "test out" of the mandatory 14-day quarantine established by the travel advisory. The new protocol takes effect today, Wednesday, November 4. Essential workers continue to be exempt from the 14-day quarantine. Travelers who were in another state for less than 24 hours do not need to quarantine upon arrival in New York state.

The new protocol establishes a reduction of the 14-day quarantine if an individual is tested within three days of departure from another state and again on day four of quarantine. If both tests come back negative, the traveler may be released from quarantine. 

Executive Order 205.2 details these new protocols. Chapters should review the protocols closely and make adjustments to policies and procedures as necessary. 

Executive Order 202.72 
On November 3, Governor Cuomo signed Executive Order 202.72, extending the provisions of earlier EOs, including 202.55. 202.55, and 202.60, which provided the previous extensions of flexibility on criminal background checks (CBC) and abbreviated training. The flexibility is now extended through December 3, 2020.

We are reaching out to the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) to confirm that the flexibility afforded in OPWDD's interim guidance on CBC and training are also extended through December 3. As a reminder, we detailed these guidance documents in our August 6 COVID-19 Update.

ANCOR Report on COVID-19
ANCOR released a report titled "Racing Against the Clock: Preserving Disability Supports During the COVID-19 Pandemic," which outlines the disproportionate risk of COVID-19 for people with I/DD and the impact of the pandemic on the field. The report presents snapshots of challenges faced by eight providers from across the country, and the effect of those challenges on staff, services and program stability. It concludes with a call to action for Congress to protect and stabilize funding for Home and Community Based Services. 

This and all related updates will be cataloged on The Arc New York COVID-19 Resource Page for future reference. Please contact us if you have questions regarding any of this information.

 
CONTACT: 
Josh Christiana, Associate Executive Director for Quality, Compliance & Chapter Relations

This email was sent to:
  • President Jack Kowalczyk 
  • Board of Governors 
  • Chapter Presidents
  • Executive Directors 
  • Chief Operating Officers
  • Chief Financial Officers  
  • HR Directors 
  • PR Directors 
  • Quality & Compliance Staff 
  • Joint Committee on Quality & Compliance 
  • Guardianship Coordinators 
  • State Office Staff