AKWESASNE — The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC), announced a significant change to the quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated individuals travelling outside the established 300-mile radius.
Individuals who are fully vaccinated are no longer required to quarantine following travel outside the 300-mile radius, as long as they are asymptomatic upon their return to Akwesasne. Vaccinated individuals who develop symptoms must quarantine at home, get tested, and follow public health guidance. Non-vaccinated individuals who travel beyond the 300-mile radius are now required to quarantine for seven days upon return.
In determining the new directive, the EOC relies on recent CDC guidance that indicates fully vaccinated individuals are less likely to carry and transmit the virus. Additionally, the vaccine rate within Akwesasne and New York State continues to improve, as vaccines are now readily available to anyone age 16 and over.
The EOC notes that a relatively low number of new cases have been reported since Easter and Spring Breaks, which were not travel related and averaged one (1) new case each day since April 5th. Because of these factors, the EOC has made the determination that it is an appropriate time to review and update the quarantine requirements.
The EOC, Health Services, and Tribal Council continue to urge everyone to please get vaccinated as we all strive to protect our community’s health and safety. Community members are also urged to refrain from traveling to identified hotspots, which are areas currently experiencing a positivity rate of more than 10% over a seven-day period.
Individuals can track an areas’ positivity rate from the John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. Some hotspots to avoid at this time include the Canadian cities of Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal. An overview of U.S. State’s and Canadian City’s positivity rate can be found at https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/.
For questions regarding this change and any other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe’s Emergency Operations Center at (518) 320-0019.
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