Dear Members of the Fordham Community,
As we near the end of the fall semester, we wish everyone Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and a safe and relaxing break. In addition to the requirement for all members of the on-campus community to receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose as announced on December 14, 2021, the University will require all students, faculty, and staff to test negative for COVID-19 upon returning to campus after the upcoming winter break. A negative test and proof of a booster dose will be required in order to enter campus. Members of the community will have until January 23, 2022 to submit confirmation of their test and booster dose, after which access to campus will be denied (booster timeline is determined by the date of a recipient’s one-dose or second dose vaccine). The test and vaccine booster dose can be obtained at private healthcare facilities or on campus.
Spring Semester Plans
The University plans to continue fully on-ground operations after the break on Wednesday, January 5, with classes in most schools scheduled to resume on Tuesday, January 18. The University has been and will continue to monitor the evolving COVID-19 landscape, and will communicate any modifications to operations and COVID-19 protocols in advance of the start of the spring semester. Our community should be prepared to make adjustments as necessary.
Re-Entry COVID-19 Testing
Tests can be performed no sooner than 3 days prior to your return to campus, or upon return to campus, and must be an FDA EUA authorized PCR saliva or nasal swab. Antigen or antibody tests will not be accepted. As was done at the Thanksgiving break, students and personnel are NOT required to be remote while waiting for their test results. This testing requirement applies to all students, faculty, and staff who are vaccinated (unvaccinated individuals with an approved exemption must continue testing every 7 days as currently mandated).
COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Dose
Confirmation of the vaccine booster is required for all members of the University community who will access campus for the spring semester by no later than January 23, or as soon as a booster dose is medically permissible. This CDC website outlines specific recommendations based on the original vaccine received, with the primary criteria being the length of time since the final dose of your initial vaccination. Those who are not yet eligible for a booster dose will have a deadline based on the date on which they become eligible. This requirement applies to all students, faculty and staff who have not been granted an exemption. A link is currently available on the VitalCheck Daily Attestation that you can use to upload your booster dose if you have already received it.
When Should I Test?
- Employees and students who live close to campus and/or will be driving back to campus are strongly encouraged to test off campus 1-3 days prior to returning.
- Students who will be traveling back to campus by plane, train or bus are encouraged to test when they arrive in New York, either on or off campus.
- Employees, and students who live close to campus, are welcome to test and/or receive the booster dose on campus beginning the week of January 10.
On-Campus Testing and Vaccine Booster Doses:
The University will continue to offer Pfizer and Moderna booster doses to the Fordham community. In January, a link will be available on the COVID-19 Testing and Vaccine Resources webpage to schedule appointments for testing and vaccine booster doses, and walk-ins will be accepted.
Off-Campus Testing:
You are not required to be tested on campus (in fact, testing off campus will open up spots for others who are unable to find off-campus testing and help you avoid a possible extended wait for on-campus testing). You may find these websites helpful to find a nearby testing site off campus:
- https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/covid/covid-19-rapid-testing.page
(includes NYC testing sites that provide free testing for any reason) - https://labq.com/covid-mobile-testing/
- https://get-tested-covid19.org/
Off Campus Vaccine Boosters:
To find a location to receive the vaccine off campus, search vaccines.gov, text your ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233 to find locations near you.
What if I recently tested positive for COVID-19?
If you tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 90 days, please upload a copy of those recent positive test results via VitalCheck when the link is available in January, and you do not need to have a new test. If you uploaded a copy of your positive test results to fulfill the post-Thanksgiving testing requirement, you will need to upload them a second time.
Spring Semester and Spring Break Testing
We will send an update on Spring Semester planning in the coming weeks as we continue to monitor the evolving conditions. Please be aware that we will be requiring a re-entry test for students following Spring Break in March.
Sincerely,
John Carroll, Associate Vice President
Administration
