A reminder that even as mask policies are relaxed, many people may continue wearing them

As COVID-19 vaccination levels gradually increase, and state and federal agencies begin to loosen mask-wearing requirements, we want to remind the campus community that nothing in this new guidance should be interpreted as a preclusion to the voluntary use of masks.

As of this writing, the Governor’s Office of Employee Relations requires all employees to mask on campus, and the College is requiring all guests and visitors to mask as well. We expect this guidance to continue to evolve, and will share updates with our community as soon as we have them.

As masking requirements for vaccinated people phase out, we want to remind our community that students, faculty, staff and campus visitors may continue wearing masks for any number of reasons.

Welcoming and accepting those who wear masks on campus is an easy step anyone can take to support one another and perpetuate our “come-as-you-are” campus culture in a positive way.

We hope the following information and reminders are helpful as we continue progressing together against the pandemic.

 

 

Anyone who is unvaccinated will still be required to wear masks while on campus

New York has announced that all SUNY students will be required to be vaccinated this fall, and all employees are strongly encouraged to be vaccinated as well.

Nevertheless, there may be some people on campus during the 2021-22 academic year who have not gotten the vaccine, and they will be expected to continue following existing masking and social distancing policies, per state and CDC guidance.

Please remember that you can voluntarily share your vaccination status now by logging into my.newpaltz.edu. More info and instructions about that process can be found here.

 

People with high-risk medical conditions may be encouraged to mask up as well

Preventive measures for COVID-19, including masking, are especially important for people who are older or who have certain health conditions. This is true even for vaccinated people.

Members of our campus community who fit these descriptions may choose to continue masking, or be encouraged to do so by their physician, even after vaccination.

More information about COVID-19 for people with preexisting conditions is available from the CDC.

 

Other people may just prefer wearing masks, and the College supports their right to make that choice

Masks have been a fact of life for most of us since March 2020, providing protection against COVID-19 and other airborne illnesses.

Even as masking requirements wind down, some individuals may feel more comfortable wearing a mask when in public, for any number of personal or health-related reasons.

For example, some people have found that masking reduces allergies; others may not have gotten sick during the winter, and want to continue wearing a mask to prevent respiratory illnesses; still others may choose to wear a mask when they are sick, to prevent spread of illness to others; and some people may just feel more comfortable wearing masks around others, as they did last year.

For all these reasons and any others, members of our campus community are free to continue wearing masks according to their preference, even if they are fully vaccinated.