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PSC will require vaccines, but relax mask requirement

PAUL SMITHS — Paul Smith’s College announced Friday that it will be requiring new and returning students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to the start of the fall 2022 semester.

A vaccine mandate was previously instated for all employees of the college at the beginning of the year, which included both full-time and part-time employees.

By requiring the vaccine, the college hopes to loosen restrictions surrounding COVID-19 protocols, beginning with lifting the current mask mandate on campus. The measure is in place after taking into consideration recent updates outlined by New York state, which has modified its guidelines around mask wearing. The college continues to recommend masks indoors and stresses the importance of respecting an individual’s decision to do so. There are still some exceptions, including classrooms and private offices, where mask wearing will be at the discretion of the faulty or staff member.

“Case numbers have fallen across the United States and in New York state. Our county is now considered a moderate transmission area, which was one of our metrics to ease the mask mandate,” said Paul Smith’s College President Scott Dalrymple. “Most local K-12 schools have dropped their mask mandates since the governor’s announcement that they could. With these recent updates, we are doing our best to get everyone through this pandemic safely, informed by our broader society. As always, we will monitor conditions and our policies could change if warranted.”

While symptomatic students will continue to be tested, random cohort testing will cease. Contact tracing will also continue, and applicable isolation and quarantine guidelines remain in effect.

Throughout the pandemic, Paul Smith’s College has avoided substantial outbreaks, attributed at least in part to its community’s commitment to COVID-19 policy, as well as its rural educational setting. In addition to the vaccine mandate, Paul Smith’s will also be requiring booster shots when individuals become eligible.

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