The State University of New York (SUNY) system announced Tuesday it would be rescinding its COVID-19 vaccine mandates come summertime, signaling a new beginning for college students in the Bronx and across the state in what officials hope is a post-pandemic world.
“The safety of SUNY’s students is our first and foremost priority, and while COVID is no longer an emergency, we will not lose sight of the impact it continues to have on us,” said SUNY Chancellor John King Jr. in the announcement Tuesday. “Across SUNY we will continue to monitor cases and make adjustments as needed, but even more importantly, we will look to increase the overall health and wellness support we provide our students.”
The system will continue to encourage students to get vaccinated against COVID and will also continue to monitor COVID data, as well as update requirements in response to changes in conditions or changes of state, federal or local policies.
The change comes after President Joe Biden announced an end to the COVID national emergency by signing a bipartisan congressional resolution on Monday, according to the Associated Press, just over three years since the pandemic took flight in March 2020.
The pandemic disrupted the American education system drastically in 2020 and 2021 — sending swaths of kids home for remote learning. And for college students, many had to make some of their most prolific early adult transitions completely online.
Even with the new SUNY policy, however, some City University of New York institutions, community colleges and private schools in the Bronx are maintaining their vaccination policies.
As of Tuesday, College of Mount Saint Vincent, Lehman College, Mercy College, Hostos Community College and Bronx Community College still required students to be fully vaccinated against COVID.
But some, like Manhattan College and Fordham University, had already begun rolling back their restrictions before the SUNY announcement Tuesday.
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