BUFFALO, N.Y. — Officials with the Western New York Region's departments of health have issued a joint statement about travel and quarantine as schools take winter and spring breaks.
The Western New York Region consists of Erie, Niagara, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany counties.
With vacation breaks scheduled in February and April for many schools in the region, the health departments are discouraging travel to areas of the United States with high rates of COVID-19.
They say reducing the risk of travel-based cases will help reduce the spread of variant COVID-19 strains in the Western New York area.
"We are showing that all the county health departments in our region are working together and are on the same page," according to Niagara County Public Health Director Daniel Stapleton. "People want and expect their leaders to be consistent and that's what we're doing with this joint release."
If you choose to travel, they say you will still have to adhere to the NYS Travel Advisory Guidelines and quarantine for 10 days following your return to New York, or get a COVID-19 test within three days of returning home, and then quarantine for three days before getting another COVID test on day four.
Those traveling to the Western New York Region will also have to follow the NYS Travel Advisory guidelines, as well as wear a face mask, maintain social distancing, as well as staying home when sick and avoiding gatherings.
Even if you have received a COVID vaccine, you will still have to abide by the travel advisory because you can still spread the virus, they say.