COVID-19 Updates for Spring 2022

In a recent letter to the Pace Community, Executive Director of Emergency Management and Environmental Health and Safety Brian Anderson shared updated guidance regarding health and safety as we return to campus.

Here are the most important things you need to know about what to expect for the Spring 2022 semester:

Remote Learning

• Pace will begin the semester as planned on Monday, January 24. However, we will conduct the first two weeks of classes remotely, through Sunday, February 6.
  • At Haub Law, the semester begins on January 18 and classes will begin meeting in-person on January 31.
• Some programs with necessary in-person components will continue in-person, and clinical experiences and other off-site activities may continue, depending on the procedures at the sponsoring institution. Your faculty or staff will contact you with information on whether your in-person activities will continue.
• Communication is key, so please continue to check your Pace email for communications from instructors, students, etc.

Masking

• Masks will continue to be required in all public indoor spaces on campus (e.g., classrooms, hallways, bathrooms, lounges, common areas, libraries) and on Pace transportation. Face coverings are strongly recommended outdoors when distance cannot be maintained.
• Due to the Omicron variant’s exceptional transmissibility, we recommend wearing high-quality, well-fitting masks, such as KN95s, or double-masking.
  • Using a cloth mask over a disposable mask improves the fit and adds layers.

Booster Requirement

• As we have previously announced, anyone coming to a Pace campus will be required to be both vaccinated and boosted once they are eligible (subject to approved medical and religious exemptions).
• If someone is not eligible to receive a booster yet, they may still return to campus. Members of the Pace Community have 30 days after they become eligible to receive their vaccine booster and upload proof to the confidential Patient Portal.
• To continue to access campus, you must upload a record of your booster within 30 days of when you become eligible. You will not receive a confirmation email for loading your booster record; instead, we will randomly audit booster records to ensure compliance.
• We recognize there may be extenuating circumstances, including for international students who did not receive their initial vaccine in the United States, and we will issue extensions where appropriate. You may apply for an extension via the confidential Patient Portal beginning January 17.
• If you have already received an approved medical or religious exemption for Pace’s COVID-19 vaccine requirement, you do not need to apply for a separate exemption to the booster.
• If your healthcare provider has determined that you should defer the booster to a later date, you must apply for a temporary medical extension with supporting documentation from your healthcare provider. Complete the medical extension request found on our Immunization page and upload it to the confidential Patient Portal.

Testing

• We strongly encourage everyone returning to campus to take a COVID-19 test within 72 hours before returning to campus. If you test positive with a new infection, please complete your isolation period before coming to campus.
  • If you test positive, you MAY NOT come to campus until you have completed a period of isolation, 5 days if asymptomatic, or 10 days if demonstrating symptoms. If a fever persists after 10 days, you should contact your healthcare provider or University Health Care for more guidance.
  • People with a history of COVID-19 may continue to test positive on a PCR test within 90 days of their initial infection. It is recommended that you take a rapid antigen test to determine if you have a new, active infection.
• We will not require entry tests for residential students, but we continue to strongly encourage a negative test before arrival, and all students will be part of the community testing program.
• Community testing will begin the week of January 17. Once again, we are requiring weekly testing for certain communities (including those exempted from the vaccine requirement and certain high-risk groups) and a randomly selected sample of the population coming to campus. For the first two weeks of the semester, we will randomly test 20 percent of our on-campus community.
  • As a reminder, any member of our community can participate in community testing if they wish.

Positive Tests Over Break

• If you had COVID-19 over winter break, please report your illness by January 17.
• Those who had COVID-19 will be excluded from our community testing program for 90 days after their illness.

Residence Halls and Campus Life

• The residence halls are open, and students may begin moving in on the weekend of January 22; however, returning to the residence halls during the two weeks of remote instruction is not required.
  • An email was sent by Residential Life to all residential students so that they may schedule their move-in.
  • Please note that at this time, our Visitor Policy from Fall 2021 will continue. No guests or visitors will be permitted in the residence halls. That means only students assigned to live in a space should be in that space. No other Pace students (residential or commuter) or outside guests are permitted.
• Dining halls will be open starting January 23, with full service. On the Haub Law Campus, dining service will be grab-and-go only until January 30 when full-service will resume. See the hours and menus.
• On-campus events will continue, but with 50 percent capacity limits. For the safety of everyone, no food will be served at in-person events. See what’s on the schedule.
• Pace’s libraries will be open for use starting Tuesday, January 18. You can see this semester’s hours of operation online.
• Pace’s main gym and fitness facilities will be open for use as they were during the Fall 2021 semester. The fitness centers inside our residence halls will be closed for the start of the spring semester. Additionally, on the Pleasantville Campus, there have been updates to Pace’s in-person spectator policy.

Isolation Protocols for Residential Students

Due to the limited availability of designated isolation spaces, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to place students who test positive for COVID-19 in a designated isolation space on campus.

• Students who test positive, whether at the start of the semester or at a later point, will be required to go home to complete their isolation if they live within 150 miles of campus and it is possible for them to do so. If it becomes necessary for you to isolate on campus, be aware that:
  • We cannot guarantee where you will complete your isolation period. Students may be transported to another campus to complete their isolation, and may even need to isolate off campus, which will be coordinated by the University.
  • Our isolation process separates you from others who are not COVID-19 positive, but it does NOT guarantee that you will complete your isolation period alone. Students who isolate in designated isolation spaces on campus should expect to share those spaces with other students who have tested positive.

Quarantine Protocols for Residential Students

In addition to isolation for those who test positive for COVID-19, some students, per the criteria below, will be required to quarantine. As with isolation, students who live within 150 miles of campus will be required to quarantine at home, if possible. Students who quarantine on campus may be required to quarantine in their own room, or in a designated space with other students who are required to quarantine.

• Students who are vaccinated and eligible for a booster but who have NOT received a booster, AND who are exposed to a positive case of COVID-19, will be required to quarantine for 5 days (from the date of exposure) and will need to test again after day 5.
• Students who are NOT vaccinated, AND who are exposed to a positive case of COVID-19, will be required to quarantine for 10 days (from the date of exposure), and will need to test after day 5.
• In cases where a student is fully vaccinated and boosted, and they are exposed to a positive case, they will NOT need to quarantine, but they should wear face covering in all settings and take a COVID-19 test between 5 and 7 days after exposure.