The New School lifts campus-wide mask mandate

Wearing a mask will no longer be required on campus starting Oct. 10.

The New School will no longer require the use of masks on campus effective Monday. The change to the masking policy comes as the Central for Disease Control and Prevention reports low levels of risk in Manhattan and the university’s Covid-19 Data Dashboard shows a campus positivity rate of 3.1% from Sep. 26 to Oct. 2.

“Given these encouraging trends and the university’s ongoing monitoring of transmission in our community, we are able to continue to safely adjust our policies.” said the university in an email sent to the community on Oct. 6. 

Although the mask mandate was lifted in most institutional spaces, there are a few exceptions, including Student Health Services and COVID-19 testing sites, and after a recovery from a recent infection or after close exposure. Though no longer required, The New School still encourages students to continue wearing masks in the email, “The university strongly supports anyone who wishes to wear a mask at any time, in any environment, and for any reason. Additionally, no one can be required to remove a mask if they choose to wear one nor can anyone require others to wear a mask.”

The latest announcement serves as an update to the previous health and safety protocols by adjusting the mask requirement to be optional on campus and instructional spaces. Binx testing will remain available at Arnhold Hall (55 W. 13th Street). There will also be an entry period requirement for testing and mask usage for the week following Thanksgiving; however, more information is yet to be shared. 

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, The New School has adopted similar health measures to those recommended by the New York State Department of Health and the CDC. The new health guidelines follow a trend amongst other universities in the New York area, such as New York University, Columbia and the City University of New York, who have also lifted the mask mandate for the current fall semester.

Reactions to the new changes in health protocols were divided. For some, it’s a step towards strengthening the community. “I get really excited knowing that we’ll be able to not wear masks and get to see each other’s faces and expressions and connect in a way that we haven’t been able to do in so long,” said Parsons student Virginia Affonso.

Others feel uneasy with the change and believe the relaxed mask policy was abrupt. “I think it’s too early. In one of our classes, we are twenty packed into a teeny tiny room. We’re all next to each other. I don’t think it’s a good idea. [COVID is] still going around and people are sick and I don’t want to give my teachers COVID,” said Zoe Gonatas, a student at the Mannes School of Music.

Another Mannes student, Neil Chopra, agreed that the measure might have come early, “I am comfortable with it personally, but I do feel for people who aren’t comfortable with it. It’s not really my health that’s super at risk.”