Spring 2022 — Reopening Plan for City Tech

MEMBERS

Task Force

Name	Title
Miguel Cairol	VP Administration & Finance
Pamela Brown	Interim Provost & VP Academic Affairs
David Smith	Dean Professional Studies
Justin Vazquez- Poritz	Dean Arts & Sciences
Dorie Clay	Strategic Initiatives and Special Projects for Enrollment and Student Affairs
Rita Uddin	Chief Information Officer
Maura Smale	Chief Librarian
Mark Hellermann	Hospitality Management Faculty
Maureen Archer-Festa	Chair Dental Hygiene
Douglas Davis	Communication Design Faculty
Hong Li	Computer Systems Technology Faculty
Andleeb Zameer	Chair Biology
Robert Polchinski	Chair Environmental Technology
Luis Venegas	Safety & Health Officer
Jaqueline Elliot	Biology Sr. CLT
Caroline Hellman	Faculty English Department

Contributing Staff

Name	Title
Mariano Alemany	Campus Planning Facilities
Stephen Trowbridge	Directory Public Safety
Brendan Stack	Superintendent B&G
Juan Manuel Alvarez	Project Manager
Karen Lundstrem	Director Instructional Technology
Jason Montgomery	Professor Architectural Technology
Heather Gibson	Chair Nursing
Mathew Leimbach	Senior Engineer
Wayne Robinson	Acting Assistant VP
Victor Humphrey	Director Human Resources

IMPLEMENTATION

The implementation of the plan includes the following actions:

• Distribute widely the CUNY and State guidelines for reopening as well as  safety and health materials
• Schedule meetings to assess concerns and solicit recommendations
• Create working groups of support staff for the solution of identified problems
• Identify action items and implement changes

Reopening

City Tech designates VP Miguel F Cairol as Campus Coordinator for reopening and HSO Luis Venegas as Campus Liaison for reopening. The liaison is the contact person for faculty, staff and students. In addition, the student and the employee contacts also engage with the students and staff, assisting the College on the contact tracing.  The coordinator is responsible for receiving and evaluating all the reports of exposure to and positive test results for COVID-19 and for ensuring all Federal, State and City regulations are observed. 

For phase three, Fall 2021, the College plans to maintain open laboratories in the following instructional and support areas: Chemistry, Dental Hygiene, Restorative Dentistry, Nursing, Business, Radiologic Imaging, Engineering Technology, and Instructional Technology. In addition, we will reopen some services in the Learning Center, the Library, the Child Care Center, and the Cafeteria. Additionally, hybrid classes with some in-person computer lab class meetings are scheduled to open across campus. Further extracurricular activities are not planned for the fall term.

Prior to reopening, all areas which have been closed (such as classrooms, library, offices, labs, conference rooms, and other spaces including hallways and bathrooms) will be deeply cleaned. In addition, lab technicians will clean and sanitize equipment and custodial staff will clean and sanitize class space at the conclusion of each session.

The medical, engineering and computer labs will be configured to serve no more than 12 or 19 students per session, following State and CUNY guidance. For Dental Hygiene, since it involves close contact with patients, face shields, gloves and protective garments are used. Signs consistent with NYS Department of Department of Health (NYSDOH) COVID-19 guidance all students and faculty are posted.

Restrooms across all opened floors will be cleaned and sanitized at least once per B&G shift, 2 times per day as a minimum. In the bathrooms, signs encourage regular hand washing and good hygiene.

Vulnerable Populations

Accommodations may be necessary for some students, faculty and staff in vulnerable populations, including the health-compromised, the older population and those with disabilities. Information has been distributed to all, indicating that students can apply to the Center for Student Accessibility, faculty to the Office of Faculty and Staff Relations and classified staff to the Human Resources Office for accommodations.

Phases in Reopening

Our phased reopening is dependent upon frequent and wide consultation, as per the specifications in CUNY’s guide to reopening. The diagram describing that consultation is reproduced below, followed by a grid/timeline, showing the phases in reopening. Both the timeline and the anticipated activities in each phase are subject to modification based on feedback in that process of consultation and changes in either the internal or external environment. As with any time-driven process, it must be informed by thorough environmental scanning.

Considerable thought has gone into crafting a plan that respects CUNY and State guidelines, yet is responsive to the needs of the College. Below is an enumeration of a set of phases toward a full reopening. The plan is subject to change, in response to all manner of extenuating circumstances, whether internal to the College, reflecting changes in the guidance provided by CUNY and New York State, or occasioned by changes in the circumstances in New York City. In addition to the grid presented below, a phase-by-phase listing of building openings is presented as Attachment F.

Reopening Phase	Occupancy	Employees	Faculty	Students	Comments
Phase 0 (Spring and Summer 2020)	Essential staff and operations only	Employees performing essential activities and contractors working on campus; masks and social distancing; all others working Remotely.	Faculty to campus only with advance approval by department chairs to VP and Public Safety	No on-campus instruction. Students to campus to pick up loaned equipment only. Masks and social distancing.	Mid-semester transition to distance learning, extending from that point through summer 2020. Summer used for additional training for faculty.
Phase 1 (Fall 2020)	Essential staff and operations only. Everbridge pre-approval required. Hours limited	Employees performing essential activities and contractors working on campus, all others working Remotely. CLTs maintaining servers in Voorhees Building.	Faculty teaching on-campus and others. Everbridge pre-approval required. CLTs allowed access to Voorhees Hall to maintain servers used in Technology and Design remote courses.	Only those students participating in the strictly limited on-campus courses allowed in clinical healthcare programs. Everbridge pre-approval required. Masks and social distancing. Lounges and other gathering spaces closed.	Approximately 350 students in clinical health programs, plus 67 instructors and CLTs, all in new Academic Complex. Only essential lab sessions in person; all others on-line. In an attempt to meet urgent student needs, the College will open one large all-purpose computer lab in the G Building with limited hours, by appointment only. Lab is being reconfigured to facilitate social distancing. Childcare Center will reopen, mid- to late September
Phase 2 (Spring and Summer 2021)	Maximum occupancy:  15%. Strict adherence to social distancing and masking. Everbridge pre-approval required. Hours limited	As department plans are approved, additional employees will return to campus. Some of the student services will continue to be delivered in person. Faculty may work on campus, according to strictly monitored department and research plans. Limited staff will be available at Enrollment-related offices, to receive documents, etc. Limited library staff for essential services. Not physically open to students or faculty. Everbridge pre-approval required. Hours limited	Faculty may work on campus, according to strictly monitored department and research plans. Everbridge pre-approval required. Hours limited.	Students participating in limited on-campus labs and supplementary workshops. Masks and social distancing. Lounges and other gathering spaces closed. Everbridge pre-approval required. Hours limited	350 students doing labs in clinical healthcare programs. Selected labs in Electrical Engineering Technology, Computer Engineering and Construction Management offered in Voorhees Building
Phase 3 (Fall 2021)	Maximum occupancy:  up to 50%. Mask and social distancing required only for unvaccinated.	In-person work will be required starting August 16. Mask and social distancing required for all .Remote work will continue, upon approval of the department supervisor and HR. Limited staff will be available at enrollment-related offices, to receive documents, etc.	Faculty may work on campus, according to strictly monitored department and research plans. Mask and social required for unvaccinated faculty.	Students participating in limited on-campus courses. Masks and social distancing required for all. Lounges and other gathering spaces are partially open.  Hours are limited	Additional access will be provided for students in hybrid classes, thus serving a larger number of students without exceeding target occupancy levels. Additional hybrid classes offered on campus, adhering to safety protocols. requirements.”

As shown above, timelines for return to campus vary by population. In the interest of clarity they are presented below by constituencies, to complement the above by phase presentation.

Employees

Phase 3, currently set to begin in fall 2021, allows reopening for all offices up to 50% capacity. Staff must submit to HR vaccination records and show a vaxpass from Cleared 4 to gain daily access. Those unvaccinated employees will be subject to a COVID PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test every 7 days at a CUNY COVID test site to gain access to campus by providing a green pass thought the Cleared4 platform to public safety. Everbridge is no longer needed, masks and social distancing are required for all.

Faculty

In phase 3, Fall 2021, faculty may continue to work on campus. Faculty must submit to HR vaccination records and show a vaxpass from Cleared 4 to gain daily access. Those unvaccinated employees will be subject to a COVID PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test every 7 days at a CUNY COVID test site to gain access to campus by providing a green pass thought the Cleared4 platform to public safety. Everbridge is no longer needed, masks and social distancing are required for all.

In-person instruction will expand again to add access for students in hybrid classes, thus serving a larger number of students without exceeding target occupancy levels.

Students

In phase 3, Fall 2021, student access to in-person instruction will expand to include some hybrid courses, thus serving a larger number of students without exceeding target occupancy levels of 50%. All students taking in-person or hybrid courses must be vaccinated, as per CUNY policy: https://www.cuny.edu/coronavirus/faqs/#1626126865860-271622ec-3b03. Student service access will remain limited to technology pickup, Bursar office, computer lab access by appointment only, and access to the childcare center. All in person or hybrid students must be vaccinated by September 27 or request a medical or religious exception. Those with granted exceptions will be required to be tested at a CUNY site every 7 days. For fully vaccinated students a vaxpass from Cleared 4 will be needed to gain daily access. Those unvaccinated will be subject to a COVID PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test every 7 days at a CUNY COVID test site to gain access to campus by providing a green pass thought the Cleared4 platform to public safety.

Guests

Everbridge app no longer needed to gain access to campus. Instead, they will be required to register on Cleared4 to upload proof of fully vaccination status or a negative PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test every 7 days. Guests must rigorously adhere to masking and social distancing.

Technology

Technical instruction to faculty has been provided to support on-line instruction. On-line education and operations have been heavily supported. Equipment and software have been procured to support on-line courses. CTO Rita Uddin coordinates this area.

Where appropriate, hybrid technology facilitates distance learning. The current College virtual desktop capability for distance learning has been expanded with a virtual cloud-based platform. The College has acquired additional software licenses for student home use. Additionally, laptop devices for students and staff with the capability to handle the necessary technology from home have been acquired and distributed.

Academics and Instruction

Courses have been modified to reflect on-line and hybrid environments. In consultation with all departments, up to 50% of courses will be conducted in-person or in a hybrid online format for Fall 2021, with priority given to those that include a hands-on component. Most medical labs will be offered in-person for those students in need of these experiences to be able to sit for the certification exams to be able to graduate and work in their field.

For the fall 2021 semester, Dental Hygiene, Restorative Dentistry, Radiation Technology, Nursing and Chemistry, Biology, Humanities, Engineering departments, Business, Paralegal Studies, Humanities and Hospitality Management will be offering limited in-person classes and labs.

Capacity

For the Fall 2021 term, the reopening process will involve up to 50% occupancy. According to studies conducted by the College Architect, classrooms and labs will have to reduce their current capacity to about 12. The departments may rotate student attendance dates to avoid exceeding the allowed capacity at any one time.

Each academic department that wishes to offer in person courses has produced a reopening plan, included in this submission.

Miguel Cairol coordinates and Luis Venegas provide liaison services for the plans.

Shutdown Emergency

New York State has set a threshold for re-closing: whenever the lesser of 100 individuals or 5% of the total on-campus population–inclusive of students, faculty, and staff–of a higher education institution location test positive for COVID-19 within a rolling 14-day period, the location must immediately (1) transition all in-person learning to remote format(s) and (2) limit on-campus activities for a period of 14 days. However, a higher education institution location which tests an average of at least 25% of its total on-campus population for COVID-19 each week as part of an ongoing policy of surveillance testing shall not be required to transition to remote learning or to limit on-campus activities unless the greater of 100 individuals or 5% of the total on-campus population test positive using a 14-day rolling average.

During such a limitation period noted above, in-person athletic events, extracurricular programs, and other non-essential student activities must be suspended, and dining hall(s)and other on-campus food services must be converted into take-out or delivery models, as appropriate. Essential on-campus functions are authorized to continue.

Offer and Promote COVID-19 Vaccination

The College can play a critical role in offering and promoting vaccination to help increase the proportion of students, faculty and staff that are vaccinated to help slow the spread of COVID-19 and prevent interruptions to in-person learning.
Vaccination is the leading prevention strategy to protect individuals from COVID-19 disease and end the COVID-19 pandemic. Current COVID-19 vaccines authorized for use in the United States are safe and effective, widely accessible, and available at no cost to all people living in the U.S.
The College administration can help increase vaccine uptake among students, faculty, and staff by providing information about and offering COVID-19 vaccination, promoting vaccine trust and confidence, and establishing supportive policies and practices that make getting vaccinated as easy and convenient as possible.
To increase access to vaccines, the College can:

• Provide on-site vaccination or promote local vaccination sites through partnerships.
• Consider hosting a mass vaccination clinic or setting up smaller vaccine venues on campus to promote vaccination.
• Connect with the local or State health department or health system to learn what might be possible.
• Use trusted messengers to promote vaccination, including current and former students.
• Consider offering multiple locations and vaccination times to accommodate student work and academic schedules.
• Facilitate access to off-site vaccination services in the community (e.g., pharmacies, mobile vaccination clinic set up in community locations, partnerships with local health departments, healthcare centers and other community clinics, partnerships with student organizations).
• Offer flexible, supportive sick leave options (e.g., paid sick leave) in accordance with applicable laws and College policies.
• Offer flexible excused absence options for students receiving vaccination and those with side effects after vaccination.

To promote vaccination, the College can:

• Develop educational messaging for vaccination campaigns to build vaccine confidence and consider utilizing student leaders and athletes as spokespersons.
• Ask student and other organizations who are respected in the College community to help build confidence in COVID-19 vaccines and promote the benefits of getting vaccinated.
• Ask students, faculty, and staff to promote vaccination efforts in their social groups and their communities.

Vaccine confidence may be different among students, faculty, and staff. The College administrators will tailor communications and involve trusted community messengers, including those on social media, to promote vaccinations among those who may be hesitant to receive the COVID-19 vaccination.

Personal Protective Equipment

Fall 2021 involves opening some medical labs, laboratories, computer labs, classrooms and some library services to students. Departmental plans are attached and provide additional information on lab usage. Academic chairs coordinate occupancy and distancing in consultation with their dean and the HSO to ensure all CUNY and State guidelines are met. 

Masks

Due to the current rate of the coronavirus transmission, we have enacted a new temporary mask mandate as of Monday, August 16. This mandate is subject to modification based on changing vaccination statistics and coronavirus transmission rates. For the time being, everyone, regardless of vaccination status, must:

• Wear a face mask inside all the College and office buildings. This includes while taking classes, working in a non-enclosed space such as a library cubicle or other open seating, regardless of physical distance from others.
• Wear a mask outdoors on campus when unable to maintain physical distance from others (for example, while attending a CUNY gathering or sporting event).

The only exceptions to wearing a mask inside are:

• If a fully vaccinated person is alone in an enclosed space such as an office, conference room, or dorm room.
• In a classroom, if a vaccinated professor is teaching a class and is able to keep social distance from everyone else in the class, he or she may choose not to wear a mask. Note that this exception applies only to faculty; students are still required to wear masks during classes.
• Briefly while eating or drinking, provided social distancing is maintained.

 These exceptions do not apply to anyone who is not yet fully vaccinated. Those individuals must wear masks indoors and outdoors at all times while on campus, including in enclosed spaces, except when eating (in which case they must maintain strict social distancing from other individuals).

• Acceptable face coverings for COVID-19 prevention include but are not limited to cloth- based face coverings (e.g. homemade sewn, quick cut, bandana), surgical masks, N95 respirators, and face shields that cover both the mouth and nose.
• However, cloth, disposable, or other homemade face coverings are not acceptable for workplace activities that typically require a higher degree of personal protective equipment (PPE) due to the nature of the work. For those activities, N95 respirators or other PPE used under existing industry standards must continue to be used, as is defined in accordance with OSHA guidelines.
• This provision should not be construed to require physical distancing among roommates or require face coverings to be worn while inside an individual’s residence. For the purposes of this guidance, students who share the same residence (i.e., dormitory room) should be considered members of the same household.
• The College must have an adequate supply of face coverings, masks and other required PPE on hand should an employee need a replacement.
• The College must allow individuals to use their own acceptable face coverings but cannot require employees to supply their own face covering. Further, this guidance shall not prevent employees from wearing their personally owned protective coverings as long as they abide by the minimum standards of protection for the specific activity. The campus may require employees to wear more protective PPE due to the nature of their work. Employers must comply with all applicable OSHA standards.
• The College must train employees on how to adequately put on, take off, clean (as applicable), and discard PPE, including but not limited to, appropriate face coverings. Such training should be extended to contractors if campus will be supplying the contractors with PPE.
• The NYC Department of Health has issued updated guidance on face coverings which recommend that people over the age of two-years-old wear snug fitting masks with two or three layers of material to better prevent unfiltered air from passing through; or wear two masks, with a cloth face covering over a disposable. The guidance also suggests higher grade masks, like KN95s, for people at greater risk.

Physical Distancing

Physical distancing means keeping space of at least 6 feet (about 2 arm lengths) between people who are not from your household in both indoor and outdoor spaces.
For students who are expected to be vaccinated by Fall 2021 (except for those granted medical or religious exemptions), physical distancing will not be a required safety measure for classroom and educational settings. People who are not fully vaccinated should continue to practice physical distancing of six feet.

Per NYS guidelines, in situations or settings of more than 5,000 participants with guests of unknown, or mixed vaccination status, the state’s COVID-19 restrictions remain in effect. The College can choose whether to keep physical distancing measures in place or operate separate areas for vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. In other campus events with less than 5,000 participants but still with a significant number of guests of unknown or mixed vaccination status, the campus can decide whether to require social distancing, or other protocols, for vaccinated individuals. In such circumstances, however, as per above, a mask must be worn outdoors on campus when unable to maintain physical distance from others.

Hygiene, Cleaning and Disinfection Plan

New York City College of Technology is implementing the following enhanced cleaning and disinfection protocol as an element of the COVID-19 Reopening Plan with the goal of ensuring a healthy and safe campus. This protocol adheres to hygiene, cleaning and disinfection requirements as advised by the CDC and NYSDOH.

1. Scope:

The frequency of enhanced cleaning and disinfection has increased at City Tech campuses, focusing on high-touch surfaces such as; tables, handrails, faucets, doorknobs, light switches, and computer workstations (e.g., monitors, keyboards, mouse, input devices) in areas such as public restrooms, lobbies, escalators and elevators, and classrooms. Cleaning and disinfection is conducted at least once a day or more frequently (at least one time per shift; 2 times per day) in high-traffic areas including restrooms, Public Safety and Buildings and Grounds locker rooms, and break rooms.

2. Protocol for Cleaning and Disinfecting Surfaces and Equipment:

A. Disinfect surfaces and objects that are visibly soiled as the first step. If surfaces are dirty to sight or touch, they should be cleaned using a detergent, or soap and water, prior to disinfection.

B. Use an EPA-registered disinfectant approved for use against the novel coronavirus. Refer to the American Chemistry Council list of products preapproved for use against emerging enveloped viral pathogens, or the EPA list of registered disinfectants approved for use against SARS-CoV-2.
C. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for safe and effective use of all cleaning and disinfection products (e.g., dilution concentration, application method and contact time, required ventilation, and use of personal protective equipment).

• The disinfectant concentrations and contact time are critical for effective disinfection of surfaces.
• Ensure that disinfectants are prepared in well-ventilated areas and handled safely, while wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) to avoid chemical exposures.

D. Consult the manufacturer’s recommendations on cleaning products appropriate for electronics. If no guidance is available, use alcohol-based wipes or spray containing at least 70% alcohol. Use of alcohol-based products may reduce risk of damage to sensitive machine components. Whenever possible, consider using wipeable covers for electronics. Dry surfaces thoroughly to avoid pooling of liquids.

E. The following solutions are also effective for disinfection of hard, non-porous surfaces; guidance for cleaning and disinfection is provided by the American Biological Safety Association (ABSA).

• Bleach solution: 2%-3% diluted bleach solution (1000-ppm chlorine). Prepare a diluted bleach solution by doing the following: Mix 5 tablespoons of household bleach per gallon of water. After application, allow 2 minutes of contact time before wiping, or allow to air dry (without wiping). Prepare fresh daily as bleach rapidly degrades.
• Alcohol with at least 60% concentration can be used for surface disinfection. Be mindful this is a flammable liquid, and should not be stored near ignition sources.

F. For soft (porous) surfaces such as carpeted floor, rugs, and fabric chairs:

• Remove visible contamination if present and clean with appropriate cleaners indicated for use on these surfaces.
• After cleaning, launder items as appropriate in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. If possible, launder items using the warmest appropriate water setting for the items and dry items completely.
• If laundering is not possible, use an EPA-registered disinfectant approved for use against SARS-CoV-2. Refer to the list of products preapproved for use against emerging enveloped viral pathogens, or the list of EPA-registered disinfectants approved for use against SARSCoV-2.

3. Safety Guidelines during Cleaning and Disinfection:

• Wear disposable gloves when cleaning and disinfecting. Gloves should be discarded after each use. Clean hands immediately after gloves are removed.
• Wear eye protection when there is a potential for splash or splatter to the face.
• Store disinfectants in labeled, closed containers. If dispensing disinfectants into secondary containers (e.g., spray bottles), these must also be labeled with their contents.

4. Notification of a Confirmed Case of COVID-19:

This protocol is for evaluation of cleaning and disinfection of areas where a person with COVID-19 spent time (longer than 10 minutes) in College spaces.

After EH&S receives notification that a person with confirmed COVID-19 spent time on at a City Tech location, the specific rooms and areas where the COVID-19-positive person spent time will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. The determination of whether additional cleaning and disinfection will occur, and the scope of cleaning and disinfection is based on the risk of potential contamination as determined by EH&S, The following steps will be followed:

• EH&S, in coordination with the COVID-19-positive person and the impacted department, will identify all locations where person spent longer than 10 minutes.

• EH&S and the impacted department, in coordination with the Buildings and Grounds will determine any locations that require additional cleaning and disinfection.

• Areas needing to be cleaned and disinfected will be restricted for access until cleaning and disinfection are completed.

• Open doors and windows to increase air circulation, if possible.
• If possible, wait 24 hours after a person with COVID-19 was present in a space prior to beginning cleaning and disinfection.
• After the area has been disinfected, a notification will be sent to the occupants, in coordination with EH&S, and the space can be reoccupied.
• If an outside contractor is used for cleaning and disinfection, the proposed scope of work, including the products and their respective safety data sheets (SDSs), and application methods must be reviewed by EH&S prior to work commencing.

• Wear the required personal protective equipment (PPE) during cleaning and disinfecting:

i. Disposable gloves, safety glasses or safety goggles when there is a potential for splashing or when spraying the disinfectant.
ii. All staff must be fully trained on donning and doffing required PPE to prevent cross contamination.
Please note that If more than 3 days have passed since the person who is sick or diagnosed with COVID-19 has been in the space, no additional cleaning (beyond regular cleaning practices) is needed.

Hand Hygiene and Respiratory Etiquette

CUNY will continue to facilitate health-promoting behaviors such as hand washing and respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette to reduce the spread of infectious illnesses including COVID-19. Provide frequent reminders of proper hand hygiene (verbally, posters, videos) with hand sanitizer widely available in common areas and rooms. The College must maintain hand hygiene stations around the institution, as follows:

• For handwashing: soap, running warm water, disposable paper towels, and a lined garbage can.
• For hand sanitizing: an alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol for areas where handwashing facilities may not be available or practical.
• Make hand sanitizer available throughout common areas. They should be placed in convenient locations, such as at building entrances, and exits. Touch-free hand sanitizer dispensers should be installed where possible. The College willremind individuals that alcohol-based hand sanitizers can be flammable and may not be suitable for certain areas of a campus

• The College willplace signage near hand sanitizer stations indicating that visibly soiled hands should be washed with soap and water; hand sanitizer is not effective on visibly soiled hands.

• The College will recommend and reinforce handwashing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

• The College will place receptacles around the institution for disposal of soiled items, including paper towels and PPE.
• The College willprovide disposable wipes to staff and faculty so that commonly used surfaces (e.g., keyboards, desks, remote controls) can be wiped down before and after use

Contact Tracing

CUNY will continue to aid in the identification of exposures, and notify close contacts, as appropriate, of exposure as soon as possible after being notified that someone in the campus has tested positive or been diagnosed with COVID-19. Guidelines for contact tracing apply:

• If a worker or visitor was in close or proximate contact with others at a location and tests positive for COVID, immediately notify and cooperate with New York State and City health departments with contact tracing efforts, including notification of potential contacts, such as workers, visitors and/or customers (if known) who had close or proximate contact with the individual, while maintaining confidentiality as required.

• In the case of an individual testing positive, The College must develop plans with local health departments to trace all contacts of the individual in accordance with protocols, training, and tools provided through the New York State Contact Tracing. Confidentiality must be maintained as required by federal and state law and regulations. The College must cooperate with state and local health department contact tracing, isolation, and quarantine efforts.

• The College will partner with local health departments to train staff and students to undertake contact tracing efforts for on-campus populations.

• State and Local health departments will implement monitoring and movement restrictions of infected or exposed persons.

• The College must ensure that reporting plans are in place for individuals who are alerted that they have come into close or proximate contact with a person with COVID-19, and have been alerted to such exposure via tracing tracking or The CDC-issued guidance on how to manage reporting can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/contact-tracing/contact-tracing-plan/data-management.html

• Through the New York State Contact Tracing Program, inform those who have had close contact with a person diagnosed with COVID-19 to stay home or in their living quarters and self-monitor for symptoms, and follow CDC guidance if symptoms develop. Vaccinated individuals do not have to self-quarantine but will not be allowed on campus until they are tested 3-5 days after exposure and receive and negative result.

• Through the New York State Contact Tracing Program, contact will be made with the individual to identify all members of the community who were in close contact during the time that the individual. The NYS Department of Health considers a close contact to be someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 10 minutes starting from 48 hours before illness onset until the time the person was isolated see: https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2020/06/doh_covid19_publicprivateemployeereturntowork_053120.pdf).

• Through the New York State Contact Tracing Program, outreach to all close contacts will be made; unvaccinated individuals will be notified that they are required to self-quarantine.

Isolation and Quarantine

You quarantine when you might have been exposed to the virus.

You isolate when you have been infected with the virus, even if you don’t have symptoms.

CUNY will continue to require that unvaccinated individuals enter quarantine in the event of possible exposure .Fully vaccinated individuals will be required to get tested 3-5 days after the exposure and will not be allowed on campus until after receiving a negative test result. Isolation is required for all individuals when diagnosed with COVID-19.

• A fully vaccinated person who (i) has had close contact with someone with COVID-19 and (ii) shows no symptoms of COVID-19, should get tested 3-5 days after their exposure AND not report to in-person work or class until they receive a negative test result or medical clearance to return.

• An unvaccinated person who has had close contact with someone with COVID-19, regardless of whether they have symptoms or not, should quarantine for 10 days.

• Quarantine is not necessary for someone who tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 90 days, recovered and remains without symptoms after exposure. This person will be required to provide appropriate medical clearance to return to work at any CUNY location.

• In general, an individual should isolate for 10 days after a positive test. Isolation should be longer if symptoms are present - at least 24 hours after no fever without fever-reducing medication and all symptoms are improving.

Students, faculty and staff are not to come to school or work if they:

• Are currently experiencing or recently experienced (in the last 48 hours) any new or worsening COVID-19 symptoms.

• Are unvaccinated and have recently (in the last 10 days) been in close contact (within 6 feet for at least 10 minutes over a 24-hour period) with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 or is suspected to have COVID-19 based on symptoms.

• Tested positive through a diagnostic test for COVID-19 in the past 10 days.

• Recently traveled domestically or internationally and are unvaccinated. All individuals should follow the CDC domestic travel recommendations and international travel recommendations before reporting to work or campus and notify their manager in advance of the travel dates and should quarantine be required.

Isolation and Quarantine

The College will monitor NYS COVID-19 infection rate metrics and local testing metrics that will determine the need to scale back or shut down campus operations. The College will have a plan to detect early warnings of an infection surge and must have a shutdown plan in place to respond rapidly. The College will rely on previously developed shutdown plans and consult the recently re-issued supplemental guidance, re-attached here with updates, for additional information on criteria for shutdown and shutdown protocols.

Although it is no longer a New York State requirement, CUNY will continue to monitor campus infection rates using the shutdown thresholds previously set by the State. Whenever the lesser of 100 individuals or 5% of the total on-campus population – inclusive of students, faculty, and staff – of a CUNY campus test positive for COVID-19 within a rolling 14-day period, CUNY Central Office will consult with campus leadership to determine the best course of action for scaling back campus activity. Provided, however, that if CUNY’s surveillance testing program tests an average of at least 25% of a total on-campus population for COVID-19 each week, CUNY shall not be required to transition to remote learning or to limit on-campus activities unless the greater of 100 individuals or 5% of the total on-campus population test positive using a 14-day rolling average.

In addition, CUNY and The College will continue to monitor community spread and adhere to CDC guidance in determining any additional safety protocols required for safe, in-person operations.

Testing

• CUNY, through its vendor, Applied DNA, has implemented surveillance testing so that individuals who are not fully vaccinated or who do not disclose their vaccination status must obtain a negative COVID-19 test within 7 days of entering a CUNY facility. Surveillance testing is intended to identify infected people who are asymptomatic. Surveillance helps to identify unknown cases so that measures can be taken to prevent further transmission.
• Fully vaccinated individuals are not required to submit weekly tests.
• CUNY’s testing program will include periodic screening of a random sampling of vaccinated individuals to help monitor and contain the spread of COVID-19 across the University. The frequency of such testing will depend upon the coronavirus positivity rate and the prevalence of variants among other factors.

Starting on October 7, students without proof of vaccination will not be allowed access to campus, unless they have been granted an exemption. Other stakeholders on campus who are not fully vaccinated or who do not disclose their vaccination status will continue to be required to submit a weekly COVID-19 negative surveillance test and adhere to additional requirements aimed at keeping the CUNY community safe. Regular testing will not be required for those who are fully vaccinated.

Symptom Screening

Based on CDC guidance, the College may stop symptom screening for students, staff, faculty, and visitors (Everbridge self-reporting) and rely on individuals to stay home when they are sick.

Visitor Policy

CUNY’s Visitor Policy is designed to restrict anyone who has not been fully vaccinated or has not received a recent negative COVID-19 test from entering a CUNY campus or office.

Definition of Visitor:

A visitor to a University campus is someone who is not a CUNY student, faculty or staff member. Examples of visitors include, but are not limited to:

• vendors and other individuals coming to campus to perform activities related to a contract with or in support of the University;

• employees of related entities of CUNY including without limitation auxiliary enterprise corporations, colleges associations, and child care centers;

• unpaid college interns;

• community members and other individuals coming to a campus to use University facilities such as pools and gyms, or to attend activities on campus; and

• family members or friends of CUNY students, faculty, or staff.

Rules for Visitors

Every visitor to a CUNY campus, whether accessing indoor or outdoor spaces, must provide proof to CUNY that they (i) are fully vaccinated or (ii) have had a negative COVID-19 molecular (PCR) test performed by an accredited lab no more than 7 days prior to the visit. “Fully vaccinated” means:

• Two weeks after a second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines; or
• Two weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine; or
• At the time specified in either the FDA licensure or World Health Organization approval, after the final administration of any other vaccines.

Visitors are also required to comply with all other University policies and codes of conduct, as well as government and/or campus-specific rules and protocols, applicable to individuals on campus that are intended to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, including by way of example:

• any masking and social distancing requirements; and
• complying with any applicable federal, state or local quarantine rules.

Before coming to a CUNY campus, visitors are encouraged to consult the campus’ website to review the most current access rules and protocols. A link to each campus plan can be found on CUNY’s Fall 2021 Reopening Plans page.

Exception for Short Visits with No Close Contact

Visitors who are on campus for 30 minutes or less per visit do not have to comply with any COVID-19 vaccination or surveillance testing requirements applicable to CUNY staff unless the visitor expects during that time to be less than 6 feet distant of another person for a total of 15 minutes of more.

Policies for Minors under 12 Years Old

TYPES OF UNDER 12 GROUPS	DESCRIPTION	CUNY PROTOCOL
1. Accompanying a visitor	Children accompanying a visitor who have business to tend to on campus for a limited time.	Exempt from testing Require masking for those 2 and up.
2. Attending events	Children attending an event, performance, or assembly where a large group will congregate for an extended period.	Exempt from testing Limit access on campus Require masking for those 2 and up and enforce social distancing
3. Enrolled in programs	Children who routinely come to CUNY facilities to participate in a program.	Require Weekly Testing Require masking for those 2 and up.

General Guidelines for Healthy Facilities

CUNY will maintain many approaches adopted during the pandemic to limit the spread of communicable disease. These include: regular and enhanced cleaning, safe disinfection, improved ventilation and maintaining healthy facilities.

Cleaning and Disinfection

• The College will ensure adherence to hygiene and cleaning and disinfection requirements as advised by the CDC and NYSDOH, including “Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfection of Public and Private Facilities for COVID-19,” and the “STOP THE SPREAD” poster, as applicable. The College must maintain logs that include the date, time, and scope of cleaning and disinfection. The College must identify cleaning and disinfection frequency for each facility type and assign responsibility.

• The College Superintendent will establish the log with the required information and instruct housekeeping staff to complete an entry after each cleaning and disinfection activity. The Superintendent will determine cleaning regimens for specific spaces and to establish a frequency schedule for each facility type and the housekeeping team assigned to the head of campus facilities will report to the Coronavirus Campus Coordinator regularly on the status of the cleaning regimen and the log.

• The College will provide appropriate cleaning and disinfection supplies for shared and frequently touched surfaces for employees and encourage their custodians to use these supplies following manufacturer’s instructions for use before and after use of these surfaces, followed by hand The College may provide such supplies for others.
• Employees will be vested with the responsibility for cleaning their own work areas. The College will provide workspaces with single use disinfecting wipes and/or multi- surface spray cleaners to support sanitation on work areas.

• The College must conduct regular cleaning and disinfection of the facilities and more frequent cleaning and disinfection for high risk areas used by many individuals and for frequently touched surfaces. Cleaning and disinfection must be rigorous and ongoing and will occur at least daily, or more frequently as needed. In addition, the College will ensure that materials and tools used by employees are regularly cleaned and disinfected using registered products. Refer to the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) list of products registered in New York State and identified by the EPA as effective against COVID-19. If cleaning or disinfecting products or the act of cleaning and disinfecting causes safety hazards or degrades the material or machinery, The Collegemust put in place hand hygiene stations between use and/or supply disposable gloves and/or limitations on the number of employees using such machinery.

• Building and Grounds must ensure regular cleaning and disinfection of restrooms. Restrooms will be cleaned and disinfected more often depending on frequency of use. The College will follow CDC guidelines on “Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Facility” if someone is suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19: The College do not necessarily need to close operations, if they can close off the affected areas.

• Close off areas used by the person who is sick, suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19.
• Open outside doors and windows to increase air circulation in the area.

• Wait 24 hours before you clean and disinfect. If 24 hours is not feasible, wait as long as possible.
• Clean and disinfect all areas used by the person suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19 who is sick, such as offices, classrooms, bathrooms, and common areas.
• Once the area has been appropriately cleaned and disinfected, it can be reopened for use.
• Individuals without close or proximate contact with the person suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19 can return to the work in the area or resume on-campus activities immediately after cleaning and disinfection.
• If more than seven days have passed since the person who is suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19 visited or used the facility, additional cleaning and disinfection is not necessary, but routine cleaning and disinfection will continue.
• The College must provide for the cleaning and disinfection of exposed areas in the event an individual is confirmed to have COVID-19, with such cleaning and disinfection to include, at a minimum, all heavy transit areas and high-touch surfaces (e.g., elevators, lobbies, building entrances, badge scanners, restrooms, handrails, door handles).
• If a worker or visitor was in close or proximate contact with others at the location and tests positive for COVID, immediately notify and cooperate with New York State and City health departments with contact tracing efforts, including notification of potential contacts, such as workers, visitors and/or customers (if known) who had close or proximate contact with the individual, while maintaining confidentiality required.
• The College willavoid use of furniture that is not easily cleaned and disinfected (e.g., cloth fabric sofas), additionally, whenever possible, increase ventilation of outdoor air (e.g., opening windows and doors) while maintaining safety precautions.
• Patios or outdoor spaces that allow for open air meetings could serve as a substitute for indoor meeting spaces, weather permitting.

Additional guidance on ventilation and HVAC systems

Where possible, CUNY facilities should ensure there is an adequate flow of fresh air to workspaces and optimize the ventilation system operations in order to reduce the risk of airborne exposure to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The CDC has identified many approaches in its Ventilation in Buildings guidance document, including:

• Increasing the introduction of outdoor air through opening of dampers and operable windows;
• Disabling demand control ventilation or systems that turn the fans off when thermostats are satisfied so that fans run continuously;
• Running HVAC systems at maximum outside airflow for 2 hours before and after the building is occupied.
• Ensuring ventilation systems operate properly;
• Increasing air filtration to as high as possible (MERV 13) without significantly reducing design airflow.
• Making sure filters are properly sized and fit properly;
• Ensuring restroom exhaust fans are functional and operating at full capacity;
• Considering portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) fan/filtration systems to enhance air cleaning; and
• Considering ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) as a supplemental treatment when options for increasing room ventilation and filtration are limited.

The CDC recommends that facility operators adopt a layered approach to COVID-19 transmission mitigation and suggests that facility operators “consider using some or all of [its list of control measure] tools to improve ventilation.” As part of the ventilation assessment, the College was instructed to implement these measures to the extent practicable. These control measures and the CDC guidance formed the basis of the ventilation assessment planned and conducted by CUNY.
As part of this overall assessment, an engineering consultant conducted site visits at all of the buildings identified for reopening to determine what control measures were available for each building and reported its findings to CUNY. Based on the CDC guidelines and the data gathered, CUNY identified the buildings that meet a sufficient subset of the CDC guidelines to limit the risk of airborne transmission of the SARS-CoV-2. The reports confirmed which buildings could safely be used for in-person learning.
The College were directed to review these reports and directed not to use or occupy buildings until they have been assessed and included in a report indicating that they can be used for in-person learning.
In addition, the College may not use or occupy any building that has been indicated not to be used for in-person learning. Lastly, the College must continue to perform maintenance and conduct operations to maintain the control measures recommended by the CDC that formed the basis of CUNY’s reports.

Statement of Affirmation

The College affirms that it has read the NY Forward Guidelines for Higher Education. A screen shot of the affirmation confirmation page is included as an appendix to this document.