By Ashley M. Casey

Associate Editor

Last week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that parts of Onondaga County fell into the “yellow zone” as coronavirus cases trended upward. The towns of Clay, Salina and Lysander and the Baldwinsville, Liverpool and North Syracuse school districts are included in the list of COVID-19 “micro-clusters” across the state. The city of Syracuse and the villages of Solvay and East Syracuse are also in the yellow zone.

Businesses, schools and gatherings in the yellow zone are subject to tighter restrictions:

• Indoor and outdoor gatherings at private residences are limited to 10 people.
• Non-residential gatherings are limited to 25 people, indoors and outdoors.
• Houses of worship can operate at 50% capacity.
• Fitness centers and gyms must close at 10 p.m.
• Restaurants, bars and other establishments subject to the State Liquor Authority must stop providing on-premises service between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Curbside pickup or delivery is allowed after 10 p.m. with the exception of alcohol.
• Parties dining at restaurants are limited to four people per table.
• In-person instruction can continue at schools, but districts must test 20% of the school population each week.

In a letter to parents, North Syracuse Superintendent Daniel Bowles said the district will conduct testing in collaboration with Onondaga County.

“The test we will likely be using (the BinaxNOW antigen test) is a rapid test producing results in 15 minutes. The test is a nasal swab test, which is not as invasive as the previous nasal swab test,” Bowles wrote.

The Liverpool Central School District will use the BinaxNOW antigen test as well.

Both districts will require the consent of a parent or guardian for a student to be tested.

North Syracuse Central School District

Eight North Syracuse schools were designated as part of the micro-cluster:

• Allen Road Elementary
• KWS Bear Road Elementary
• Roxboro Road Elementary
• Roxboro Road Middle School
• St. Margaret’s (Parochial)
• St. Rose (Parochial)
• North Syracuse Junior High School
• North Syracuse Early Education Program (Main Street School)

Classes at Roxboro Road Elementary were held remotely Friday, Nov. 13, because a staff member tested positive. The district announced Sunday, Nov. 15, that staff members at Allen Road Elementary and Gillette Road Middle School and two Cicero-North Syracuse High School students had tested positive. C-NS held classes remotely Nov. 16 and 17.

Visit nscsd.org/updates for the latest on the North Syracuse Central School District’s response to COVID-19. Additional resources are available at nscsd.org/districtpage.cfm?pageid=3064.

Liverpool Central School District

The entire Liverpool district falls within the yellow zone, as its schools are located in the towns of Salina and Clay.

Liverpool must test 20% of the students in the A, B and C Cohorts (students who attend school in-person during the school week).

Last week, the district reported that staff members at Morgan Road, Long Branch and Willow Field elementary schools had tested positive. Two students at Chestnut Hill Middle School and the Liverpool High School Annex tested positive as well. CHM went remote Tuesday, Nov. 10, and the Annex, LBE and WFE followed suit Thursday, Nov. 12.

The district reported Sunday, Nov. 15, that students at Liverpool Elementary and Morgan Road Elementary had tested positive, so both schools moved to remote learning Monday, Nov. 16.

Visit liverpool.k12.ny.us for the latest on the LCSD’s response to COVID-19.

Baldwinsville Central School District

Four Baldwinsville schools are in the micro-cluster:

• Palmer Elementary
• Elden Elementary
• Durgee Junior High School
• Baker High School

According to a Nov. 13 statement on the district’s website from Superintendent Matt McDonald, the district must test 550 people each week.

Onondaga County will conduct testing at Palmer and Elden on Wednesday, Nov. 18. Testing also will take place at Durgee and Baker on Friday, Nov. 20. The district planned to email parents a registration link. The consent of a parent or guardian is required for a student to be tested. In a survey the district conducted last week, 74% of parents indicated they would grant consent for their kids to be tested.

The district is posting updates to its COVID-19 dashboard, located at sites.google.com/view/bvillecovid19/. The site also includes BCSD’s policies on face coverings, safety protocols, webinars, frequently asked questions, remote learning tips and forms such as the student health questionnaire and the release form required for students who have been sick to return to school.

Municipalities consider tightening access

While schools must grapple with the burden of testing hundreds of students and staff each week, municipalities in the yellow zone are looking for ways to reduce the spread of COVID-19 as well.

“Our code enforcement office is working with the county executive’s office to make sure the businesses are in compliance,” Salina Town Supervisor Colleen Gunnip said.

Businesses may bristle at the restrictions handed down by the governor, but Gunnip said, “Closing early is better than closing down completely.”

The village of North Syracuse is located partially in the town of Cicero and partially in the town of Clay, which was included in the yellow zone. Clerk-Treasurer Dianne Kufel told the Star-Review that the North Syracuse Fire Department requires temperature checks, so the village is considering instituting temperature checks at Village Hall and the North Syracuse Community Center. Kufel said the village is also thinking about restricting public access to Village Hall and encouraging residents to call ahead before showing up at the village offices.

Gunnip said many Salina residents — especially older people — are accustomed to doing business in person, but the town is encouraging residents to conduct their business over the phone, via email or through the mail. The town has installed a dropbox for people to drop off tax payments.

“I would strongly encourage our residents, especially the vulnerable population, to call ahead to keep from putting themselves at risk and putting our staff at risk,” Gunnip said. “You’re putting yourself at risk and others at risk by coming in and waiting in line.”