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University to Eliminate COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements in May
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The University will be eliminating all COVID-19 vaccination requirements as of May 20 for current and incoming students and staff, according to a campus-wide email on Friday.
The Cornell Daily Sun (https://cornellsun.com/tag/vaccination/)
The University will be eliminating all COVID-19 vaccination requirements as of May 20 for current and incoming students and staff, according to a campus-wide email on Friday.
Students will not be required to have received a booster shot for 2022-23 academic year, and unvaccinated and unboosted students will only be required to test once a week.
The University has granted a one-month extension to faculty and staff to get vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. Before the extension, on-campus staff were expected to receive their vaccination by Dec. 8.
Each fall, Cornell partners with Wegmans Pharmacy to offer free flu vaccinations to students at various campus locations from September to November. With the ongoing pandemic impacting Cornellians’ daily lives, getting the flu vaccine this year is just as critical as in any other year for all individuals, according to Cornell physicians.
With campus COVID cases surpassing 300 as of Thursday, President Martha Pollack sent an email to the Cornell community to discuss potential outcomes for the fall semester and to remind Cornellians to remain vigilant about staying healthy.
A University announcement on Tuesday afternoon stated that all students returning for the fall semester will be required to participate in surveillance testing until the prevalence of the virus is determined.
As Cornellians prepare for a fully in-person semester, some international students say they are struggling to meet the University’s requirement for students to receive an FDA-approved vaccine before arriving on campus this August.
With nearly 70 percent of Tompkins County fully vaccinated and with New York State guidance that releases fully vaccinated individuals from masking and distancing, most Ithaca local businesses have taken down their “masks required” signs, allowing customers to linger inside without wearing a face covering.
As New York State’s 62 counties vaccinate their residents, Tompkins County outperforms most of them, with one of the highest vaccination rates in the state.
Cornell takes a conservative approach toward abolishing COVID safety guidelines, requiring conditional mask-wearing and distancing for students and faculty even as New York State ends all restrictions.