As outlined by CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodriguez, in accordance with new CDC guidelines and recent announcements by Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams that ended mask mandates for pre-K through 12th grade schools across New York State and City, the College of Staten Island will be lifting the temporary mask mandate that has been in place since August 2021 that has required all CUNY students, faculty, staff and visitors to wear masks inside University campuses, office buildings, classrooms and other non-enclosed spaces. The revised mask mandates are effective Monday, March 7, 2022.
The CUNY urges anyone who would like to continue wearing masks in any setting to do so at any time. Masks will continue to be available on campus and offices for people who want them, but urges the small number of faculty, staff and students who are still not vaccinated, or those who have been or will be granted a medical exemption or religious exception, to wear a mask.
The University’s quarantine guidance will remain unchanged. Those fully vaccinated and have received a booster shot, or those who have tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 90 days, and have come into close contact with someone with COVID-19, do not need to quarantine and can return to work or class., but will need to wear a mask for 10 days from the date of your last close contact and get tested at least 5 days after the close contact.
The suspension of mandatory masking does not affect the student booster requirement for those enrolled in hybrid or fully in-person courses. Students must upload proof of their booster within 30 days of the date they first become eligible to receive the booster. A reminder that all full- and part-time faculty, non-teaching instructional staff and ECPs are required to be fully vaccinated and their proof of vaccination uploaded into CUNYfirst by April 1. Requests for medical exemptions or religious exceptions will be considered and the employee process for submitting such requests will be communicated in the near future.
CUNY’s mandatory testing for anyone with medical exemptions or religious exceptions and the random testing program for vaccinated individuals will continue to operate without change. Free PCR testing continues to be available for students, faculty and staff at CUNY testing sites and I encourage you to take advantage of this service for any reason you might need it.
BY: CUNY Communications
