COVID-19 and Reopening Plans

Coronavirus COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement

As you know, the Governor announced that all CUNY and SUNY students will be required to be vaccinated against Coronavirus COVID-19 to attend in-person classes in the fall. The University will be providing guidelines pertaining to proof of vaccination and the testing protocols that will be implemented. The guidelines will be disseminated to the college community when they are finalized.

COVID-19 and Reopening Plans

To protect the health and well-being of our community the College continues to revise the Reopening Plan and put in place necessary protocols to address issues arising from COVID-19. The following are some guidance for faculty, staff and students.

College Reopening Plan

The mission of the Reopening Plan is to establish a framework in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan will address safety protocols, routine activities and improvements necessary to mitigate the risks of COVID-19 spread at College premises. Learn More.

What to do before coming on campus

Any person who is over age two must cover their nose and mouth with a mask or face-covering when in a public place. You must wear a face-covering or mask when inside College buildings.

All members of the CUNY community (students, faculty, staff, and visitors) who will be coming to a campus or CUNY location are required to complete the Everbridge Symptom Checker self-screening in order to be allowed entry into any CUNY campus or building. You must complete the health screening questionnaire on any day you plan to come to a CUNY facility.

The questionnaire contains 5 short questions and is accessible via the following methods:

Mobile App
Email
In-Person Kiosk

Visit the college’s Coming to Campus Self Screening website for additional information.

COVID-19 Testing

All New Yorkers should get a COVID-19 diagnostic test, whether or not they have symptoms or have been tested before.

There are two main types of COVID-19 tests:

Diagnostic(virus) tests: swab or saliva tests used to identify whether someone has COVID-19 now. A diagnostic test is performed by inserting a swab(similar to a long Q-tip) into your nose or throat or by collecting saliva. If you have symptoms of COVID-19, you should isolate at home while waiting for your test results.

Molecular tests (often called PCR tests) — These tests detect genetic material of the virus that causes COVID-19, usually using a lab technique called polymerase chain reaction (PCR), though other techniques are sometimes used. These tests generally require the specimen to be sent to a laboratory, which is why it usually takes a few days to receive results. COVID-19 molecular tests are very accurate, as they can detect the virus even if there is only a small amount in your system.

Antigen tests (often called point-of-care (POC) or rapid tests) — These tests detect certain proteins in the virus that causes COVID-19. Antigen tests are relatively inexpensive and can be processed in a health care provider’s office, rather than a laboratory. For this reason, results are usually ready quickly (in under an hour). However, COVID-19 antigen tests are not as accurate as molecular tests. There are both false positive test results (the test result is positive even though the person doesn’t have COVID-19) and false negative test results (the test result is negative even though the person has COVID-19), with false negative test results being more common. For this reason, it is recommended that health care providers perform a follow-up molecular test to confirm the test results in certain circumstances. For example, if a person has symptoms of COVID-19 but the antigen test is negative, a molecular test should be performed.

Antibody tests (also called serology tests): blood tests used to identify whether someone had COVID-19 at some point in the past.

CUNY COVID-19 Testing Policy

If you are required to take a COVID-19 test to access any CUNY campus or location, CUNY requires that you take the molecular (PCR) COVID-19 diagnostic test.

CUNY Priority Testing
Priority testing is now available for faculty, staff and students working, living and/or attending classes on campus. For a list of these sites, visit the City’s Priority Testing for School-Based Staff and Students page.

For additional COVID-19 testing information, please visit the NYC Department of Health’s COVID-19 Testing: Frequently Asked Questions.

COVID-19 Exposure Reporting

You are required to report the following COVID-19 exposures to the College:

You have tested positive for COVID-19 through a diagnostic test in the past 10 days.
You have traveled outside New York State or internationally for more than 24 hours during the past 10 days.

This requirement does not apply if you only traveled to Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, or Vermont during the 10-day period.

You have had any known close contact with a person confirmed or suspected to have COVID-19 in the past 10 days.

As per the NYC Department of Health, close contact defined as:

Someone who has been within 6 feet for at least 10 minutes over a 24-hour period of someone who has COVID-19.
In most cases, all people living with someone who has COVID-19 are close contacts.
Close contacts may also include home health aides, coworkers, classmates, or friends or families you have spent time with.

To report exposure to COVID-19 follow these steps:

Complete the Coronavirus COVID-19 Reporting Form. This online form is secure, and all information will be kept confidential. A member of the College’s Contact Tracing Team will follow-up with you upon receipt of the form.
Notify the appropriate individual within the College