Additional in-Person Activities Resume After 50 Percent of Students Are Vaccinated
With 50 percent of the student body vaccinated, the college released a plan to allow additional on-campus activities. Additional on-campus activities outlined by the college are permitted to resume starting on April 30.
“Thanks to the cooperation of our students, we are happy to announce the continued reopening of our campus,” Vice President for Student Affairs Deborah DiCaprio said. “This is possible because of the increased vaccination rate within our campus community, compliance with the requirement to inform the College of your vaccination status, and continued low COVID-19 case counts.”
The college is currently in alert level green on the COVID-19 dashboard with 13 active cases, meaning that the virus prevalence on campus is low and the transmission is controlled. Due to the new Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, the college released updated guidelines for fully vaccinated students and members of the Marist community.
“According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an individual is considered fully vaccinated 14 days after completion of the vaccine dose (second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or first dose of Janssen [Johnson & Johnson]),” DiCaprio said. “Fully vaccinated individuals are exempt from routine surveillance testing and the requirement to wear a mask while outside.”
The college also plans to release updated surveillance testing requirements for unvaccinated individuals soon. Students who are fully vaccinated are still required to wear a mask outdoors when they are attending large gatherings such as commencement or when participating in high-risk activities such as sports and wind/vocal performances and practices. Students who are not fully vaccinated must continue to wear their masks outdoors.
“These relaxed restrictions do not apply to unvaccinated individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 within the last 90 days, as they are eligible to get vaccinated,” DiCaprio said. “This relaxation in policy relies on an ‘honor system,’ meaning individuals will not be required to provide proof of vaccination to be outdoors without a mask on; though unvaccinated individuals who are outside without masks on will be in violation of the student conduct code.”
Effective April 30, indoor and outdoor dining capacity will be increased and more local food trucks are expected to be on campus in the coming weeks. McCann and McCormick Hall fitness centers now have increased capacity at 25 percent. Additional in-person fitness classes such as yoga and Zumba will also resume.
“Students residing in campus housing are permitted to visit with one another, including students from different residence facilities, provided that gathering size limits are followed and masks are worn,” DiCaprio said. “Off-campus guests, including commuter students, are still not permitted within any campus residence facility.”
Marist is encouraging students to get vaccinated if they haven’t already and has held four on-campus vaccination clinics so far. If students were not vaccinated through a Marist clinic, they must upload their vaccination record of the first and second dose to marist.medicatconnect.com.
“Vaccination prevents serious illness and death and protects those in vulnerable populations,” DiCaprio said. “It is also our best chance to eliminate the virus from our community by achieving herd immunity. The College reserves the right to re-institute restrictions should the number or rate of increase in new cases cause concern or a new vaccine-resistant variant emerge.”
The college will continue to update students on changing policies related to COVID-19 on campus as more students get vaccinated or become fully vaccinated. Being in alert level orange three weeks ago, the college has rapidly decreased the number of active COVID-19 cases on campus and is looking to finish the semester with more in-person activities.
“We hope to be able to continue to provide a more typical conclusion to the Spring 2021 semester and thank you for your vigilance and commitment to finishing the term in person,” DiCaprio said. “We applaud your efforts, they are working.”
Additional in-Person Activities Resume After 50 Percent of Students Are Vaccinated. Source: Greta Stuckey ‘23