Update on Thanksgiving Travel and Health and Safety Protocols
A message from Dr. Renée T. White, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs; and Tokumbo Shobowale, Executive Vice President for Business and Operations
Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,
Your tremendous commitment over these past weeks to following the university’s health and safety requirements has enabled our community to experience an open, safe environment for teaching, learning, and working. Because of your efforts, our infection rate is extremely low, classes are meeting in person, the libraries are filled with students from morning until night, and our community is coming together thoughtfully, with health and safety always top of mind.
If the infection rate remains low, we will adjust testing frequency, mask requirements, and campus access for vaccinated individuals. More information about our spring 2022 campus policies will be provided in December.
While life is certainly “more” normal than it was a year ago, we are not yet out of the woods. The virus continues to spread, and that is why we must continue to rely on the vigilance of everyone in our community to reduce risk to ourselves and others.
As we look forward to the holidays, we know that many of you may be planning to travel during the Thanksgiving break. We encourage everyone to read the sections below and the CDC’s Guidelines for Holiday Celebrations carefully for information about safely gathering. If you are unvaccinated and plan to travel, please pay close attention to the pre- and post-travel COVID-19 testing sections for information about quarantining.
- Ongoing Testing Requirements
- Pre-Travel COVID-19 Testing
- Post-Travel COVID-19 Quarantine and Testing
- Keeping Your Family, Friends, and Our Community Healthy
Ongoing Testing Requirements
All community members are required to participate in frequent COVID-19 testing to maintain access to campus spaces. Visit the Testing page of our COVID-19 Community Guide to stay on top of your testing schedule.
As we shared on October 15, testing requirements remain in effect. Vaccinated individuals must test no later than every 14 days; those who are partially vaccinated or unvaccinated must test every 4 days. You can check your building access status at shsportal.newschool.edu.
We know community members may have unused, unopened binx test kits in their homes or bags. To help ensure test kits are available for every member of our community, please use a kit you already have and return unused kits to any university pick/drop-off location.
Pre-Travel COVID-19 Testing
Whether you will be staying on or near campus or traveling for Thanksgiving break, we encourage you to practice healthy behaviors that protect you and those around you, such as wearing masks indoors and avoiding crowded spaces. If you plan to travel, we recommend that you test prior to leaving to confirm you are negative, especially before gathering with family members who may be at high risk or not yet vaccinated. Testing prior to your travel will help ensure that you will be able to access campus buildings when you return.
The last time to pick up and drop off a binx test before Thanksgiving will be Monday, November 22nd at 4:00pm. The university will resume binx testing on Monday, November 29th at 9:00am.
Post-Travel COVID-19 Quarantine and Testing
The CDC recommends that unvaccinated individuals must quarantine off campus for 7 days in addition to completing the re-entry testing mentioned above. Vaccinated individuals do not need to quarantine.
- Employees can read more about the university’s policy for leave here or refer to their collective bargaining agreement.
- Students should contact Student Health Serviceswith any questions about quarantining.
Additionally, any community member who has traveled to another state or internationally, regardless of their vaccination status, must take a PCR COVID-19 test on the day they return (beginning on Monday, November 29) and a second test 3-5 days later.
Community members who receive a positive test result must stay home. If you tested with binx, no further action is required. If you tested with an outside provider, you must upload your positive test result to the SHS Portal and email shs@newschool.edu or benefitshelp@newschool.edu for further instructions. If you tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 90 days, you do not need to take a PCR test.
Everyone should self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms; isolate and get tested if you develop symptoms.
For more information about the university’s health and safety policies, please visit the COVID-19 Community Guide. You can also find travel guidance on the CDC’s website.
Keeping Your Family, Friends, and Our Community Healthy
No matter where you’ll be for the holiday, we urge you to continue to follow health and safety precautions to help protect yourself and your community members from illness. We wish you all a restful Thanksgiving break. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Student Success at studentsuccess@newschool.edu or Benefits at benefitshelp@newschool.edu.