(Photo Source: SUNY Cortland).
SUNY Cortland President Erik J. Bitterbaum sent the following message to students, updating them on the college's vaccination mandate.
Dear students,
On Dec. 31, 2021, Gov. Kathy Hochul expanded the SUNY vaccination mandate to require COVID-19 boosters for all students. All students who are currently eligible for a booster must receive their booster as soon as possible.
You are eligible for a booster if:
- You received the second dose of a Moderna or Pfizer vaccine on or before June 20, 2021 OR
- You received a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on or before October 20, 2021.
Those who will become eligible for a booster during the spring semester will be required to receive a booster at that time. Information on how to provide your proof of vaccination will be provided soon.
As a reminder, all new and returning students must submit proof of a negative COVID-19 test before arriving to campus. Students may submit a negative PCR test result taken within 72 hours before their arrival or a negative rapid test taken at home the day they plan to travel to Cortland. Because of limited test availability, students should make testing plans now.
Additional details on pre-arrival and arrival testing will be shared soon.
The COVID-19 booster mandate gives our campus an additional level of protection to limit the spread of the virus, especially with highly transmissible variants like omicron. Research shows that vaccines, required face coverings and robust testing help mitigate transmission and protect our community and our neighbors.
Over the next few weeks, we will continue to closely monitor COVID-19 caseloads, transmission rates and public health guidelines. Any changes to our Spring 2022 plans and policies will be published on our COVID-19 guidance and communicated to our campus community.
I want to thank students who have already received a booster shot. I encourage others to schedule an appointment as soon as possible. It is an important step in keeping our campus community safe and decreasing the strain on our local healthcare infrastructure.
All the best,
Erik J. Bitterbaum
President
