Dear Students, Faculty, Staff and Families:
As spring break comes to an end, I hope you are feeling recharged and ready to tackle the final weeks of the Spring 2022 semester. Whether you traveled away from campus or spent your time in ϲ catching up on rest and other activities, in preparation for the return to campus life, I want to share some important public health reminders. Specifically, please carefully review the updates below regarding:
Current Masking Level
As previously announced, on Monday, March 14, the University transitioned to COVID level “Yellow,” which indicates a moderate level of transmission risk within our campus community. Further, level Yellow corresponds with the following masking policy while on campus:
Please Take Note: This change to our masking framework eliminates the mandate that vaccinated individuals wear a mask while indoors on campus and is aligned with current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and New York State Department of Health guidance applicable to all indoor spaces across New York state. However, it is important to acknowledge that level Yellow of the University’s masking framework also includes a public health RECOMMENDATION that vaccinated individuals consider voluntary masking while indoors and in the presence of others. Masking remains the best strategy to mitigate transmission and infection among the vaccinated population, and therefore the individual choice to mask while in crowded indoor spaces and venues should be supported. Acknowledging and acting on this recommendation is also the best way to ensure that we don’t experience a resurgence of COVID cases on campus at a level that would warrant reintroducing a mandatory masking requirement applicable to some or all indoor spaces on campus. As always, the ϲ Public Health Team will continue to monitor conditions and, if necessary, recommend the appropriate change to the masking level.
Testing Resources
ϲ continues to offer COVID testing to asymptomatic students, faculty, staff and families. Further, for the time being—and with a particular emphasis on the period immediately following spring break—the University will continue our random surveillance testing program and wastewater testing of our residence halls. As a reminder, symptomatic individuals should not seek testing at the University’s testing sites. Instead:
If you are uncertain about what steps you should take if you come down with COVID, please visit the .
Testing Hours and Locations:
Testing hours and locations for the upcoming week are:
Please continue to take care of yourselves and each other and demonstrate support to those in our community who continue to wear masks and take other public health precautions. We all continue to experience the pandemic differently, and for that reason it’s critically important that we continue to extend grace and empathy to all our classmates, colleagues and friends.
Sincerely,
J. Michael Haynie
Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation
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