Columbia county ny health policies and procedures

• TESTING RESOURCES
• COVID-19 GUIDANCE
• AFFIRMATION OF ISOLATION
• COVID-19 VACCINE INFORMATION

TESTING RESOURCES

Order Home Tests:

Starting at the end of September, households across the country will be eligible to order 4 free COVID-19 tests at COVIDtests.gov. The COVID-19 tests will detect current COVID-19 variants and can be used through at least the end of 2024.

Find a testing site near you

Expiration Dates Extended

At-Home COVID-19 Tests may show “expired” dates on the box, but the FDA has extended those dates; see the full list of extended expiration dates.

Report Home Test

Follow this link to submit a COVID-19 home self-test. – SELF-TEST FORM

COVID-19 GUIDANCE

Important Information Updated March 1, 2024

Updated Isolation Guidance:

When you may have a respiratory virus…

• Stay home and away from others (including people you live with who are not sick) if you
  have respiratory virus symptoms that aren’t better explained by another cause. These
  symptoms can include fever, chills, fatigue, cough, runny nose, and headache, among
  others.*

You can go back to your normal activities when, for at least 24 hours, both are true:

• Your symptoms are getting better overall, and
• You have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication)

When you go back to your normal activities, take added precaution over the next 5 days,
such as taking additional steps for cleaner air, hygiene, masks, physical distancing,
and/or testing when you will be around other people indoors. This is especially important to
protect people with factors that increase their risk of severe illness from respiratory viruses.
This is especially important to protect people with factors that increase their risk of severe
illness from respiratory viruses.

• Keep in mind that you may still be able to spread the virus that made you sick, even
  if you are feeling better. You are likely to be less contagious at this time, depending
  on factors like how long you were sick or how sick you were.
• If you develop a fever or you start to feel worse after you have gone back to normal
  activities, stay home and away from others again until, for at least 24 hours, both
  are true: your symptoms are improving overall, and you have not had a fever (and
  are not using fever-reducing medication). Then take added precaution for the next 5
  days.

Special Considerations

In addition to CDC’s Respiratory Virus Guidance, there are several special considerations for people with certain risk factors for severe illness.

• Older Adults
• Young Children
• People with Weakened Immune Systems
• People with Disabilities
• Pregnant People

For more information, please visit: