Although many COVID-19 guidelines from last semester will remain in place during the start of the fall 2022 semester, NYU has announced a few changes for the coming months, including a new isolation policy, updated testing protocols and a replacement for the Daily Screener — the daily pass that was previously required to enter NYU buildings and participate in university-sponsored activities.

Mask policy

Similar to the spring semester, masks are no longer required in spaces where attendance is optional, such as dorm lounges and gyms. However, masks must still be worn in spaces where attendance is mandatory, including classrooms and libraries. Professors can also choose not to wear a mask while teaching if they are at least six feet away from the first row of students in a classroom, according to an email from Carlo Ciotoli, who leads NYU’s COVID-19 Prevention & Response Team.

New York City COVID-19 positivity rates have been decreasing since mid-July and are currently at 8.7%, the lowest figure reported since May. If the positivity rates in the NYU community remain low, the mask requirement for spaces where attendance is obligatory will be lifted near the end of the month, according to Ciotoli.

Vaccination requirements

In compliance with NYU’s COVID-19 vaccination guidelines, students, faculty and staff are required to have received the first two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and booster shot if eligible. All vaccines must be FDA-authorized and WHO-listed. 

Those who receive any dose of the vaccine off campus must upload proof to the Student Health Center portal. Vaccines administered on campus are automatically filed in university records. Appointments to receive a vaccine on campus are currently available at 726 Broadway between Mondays and Fridays.

On Wednesday, Aug. 31, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that new, reformulated versions of the COVID-19 vaccines specifically designed to target the omicron variant of the virus will soon become available. NYU has not yet announced whether receiving this new booster shot will be mandatory.

Testing positive for COVID-19

Positive COVID-19 tests that were not administered through NYU must be reported using the university’s reporting form. However, unlike previous semesters, individuals who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or are exposed to someone who tests positive will no longer be required to submit the form.

NYU will no longer conduct contact tracing, and the university encourages NYU faculty members to not make announcements, cancel classes or give health advice if they learn about someone who tests positive.

Students who tested positive for COVID-19 were provided with separate rooms to quarantine for the majority of the last two years since the university reopened. As of May 6, students in NYU housing will follow an “isolate-in-place” policy and remain in their dorms during their isolation period, as announced by Ciotoli in an email to the university community. The university’s guidelines are similar to those of New York City, as well as those of many peer institutions including the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, Emory University and Dartmouth College.

The Violet Go pass

The Daily Screener has been replaced as of Aug. 22 with the Violet Go pass. Violet Go is meant to increase compliance with NYU’s vaccination requirements, according to administrators. Violet Go only needs to be completed once and can be kept in a digital wallet.

Residence hall guest policy 

As of Feb. 7, NYU’s guest policy in residence halls allows students to bring NYU students into their dorm. Student residents must meet guests in the lobby of their building and show their NYU ID to a Campus Safety officer. Students are required to escort their guests through the building during their stay.

Non-resident NYU guests are required to present a valid NYU ID and receive a passing Daily Screener result to enter, according to NYU’s website, although the Daily Screener has since been replaced with Violet Go. 

NYU continues to bar guests not affiliated with NYU from visiting residence halls.

Contact Carmo Moniz at [email protected].