ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — If you’re a student 12 years and older, and eligible for a booster, but NOT boosted, you might run into ‘extracurricular problems’ in New York.

If you’ve been exposed to COVID, the state says you cannot participate in after-school events — like sports — during the 5-day isolation rule. Dr. Michael Mendoza says the uniform guidance is needed. 

“As you know, there are competitions and meets and so forth those cross boundaries… so we want to have consistency,” he says.

While you must adhere to the 5-day quarantine rule if exposed, school instruction and bus travel is okay (full guidance is below). County Executive Adam Bello says they’ve always tried to have local control over these matters, but like Mendoza, says state support is needed here when counties cross-pollinate.

“When you’re participating in an activity that crosses county boundaries, every county may do something slightly different,” says Bello.

Bello says a conflict recently happened between football teams in Monroe County and Erie County with different school ‘test to stay models’. “So we do need some form of clarity, even though we all want local control,” he says.

“Well, I think the tricky part that’s important is making sure we communicate this — that’s the tricky part,” says Dr. Tom Stewart, Director of Athletics for Rush-Henrietta.

Stewart says with sports being close-contact, this was a smart move. “We have to trust the Department of Health and certainly Dr. Mendoza,” he says.

Mendoza says guidnace for COVID is always being updated. This quarantine isolation measure could change. “But for now, I think it makes sense. We are in some sense in uncharted territory,” he says.