December 16 Message from Student Health Office

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Dear Mercy Community,

As you are aware, COVID-19 case rates have again been rising in the region. Our campuses, too, have recently seen small upticks in cases, which you can continue to track on our COVID-19 dashboard. Accordingly, we thought it fitting to send along a reminder of our policies in place to help ensure the health and safety of our community and some recent updates from the state and the CDC.

Mercy’s Mask Policy:

New York State recently reinstituted a mask mandate for all indoor public places where a vaccine requirement does not exist. Mercy’s current mask policy is in alignment with the New York State mask mandate and so we wanted to provide a reminder of the policy with some updates through the end of the fall 2021 term requiring all individuals to wear a mask in shared spaces and offices.

  • Outdoors: Masks are not required when outdoors regardless of vaccination status.
  • Indoor Common Spaces: Masks are required for all individuals indoors when in common spaces such as hallways, bathrooms, elevators, cafeteria lines, bookstores and in libraries, as well as in the fitness center, health office or counseling office.
  • Classrooms: Masks are required by faculty and students in all classrooms, regardless of vaccination status.
  • Offices: Masks are not required for those who work in individual offices but are required in shared offices regardless of vaccination status.
  • Visitors to offices or cubicles, including students: Masks are required when an individual visits someone’s office or cubicle regardless of vaccination status.
  • Meeting rooms: Masks are required during group meetings regardless of vaccination status.

Mercy’s Vaccine Policy:

  • Mercy’s current vaccination policy requires that all students, faculty and staff who are in-person and on campus (with the exception of those with exemptions) be vaccinated for COVID-19.  Those who have an approved exemption are required to follow the College’s testing protocol.  To learn more about the policy click here

Mercy’s Visitors Policy:

  • Mercy’s current visitors policy requires that all visitors 12 years and older must show proof of vaccination (except vendors on campus for very short durations). To learn more about the policy click here.

COVID-19 Boosters:

  • Mercy recommends individuals receive booster shots to ensure they are protected from COVID-19. Booster doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines are available to everyone over the age of 18 if they are at least six months beyond their second dose. Booster doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are available to anyone two months beyond their first dose. Booster doses can be scheduled at pharmacies and with other health care providers by searching here or at state-run mass vaccination sites by clicking here.

Daily Health Monitoring:

  • Individuals who are not feeling well or have any COVID-19 symptoms should stay home, monitor their health and test for COVID-19.
  • Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 must notify their supervisor and isolate for 10 days.  Supervisors must report all cases they learn of to the Student Health Office at healthalert@mercy.edu or 914-674-7255.

On-Campus Testing:

  • As of today, COVID-19 testing rooms on all campuses will be open to students, faculty and staff on a walk-in basis through Thursday, December 23.  Please be patient as we accommodate both walk-ins and scheduled appointments.

Dobbs Ferry Campus Hours:

  • Location: Main Hall, G level
  • Monday – Saturday, 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
  • Thursday, December 23, 9:00 a.m. –  2:00 p.m.             

Bronx Campus Hours:

  • Location: 4th floor, room 4180
  • Monday – Thursday, 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
  • Friday – Saturday, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
  • Thursday, December 23, 9:00 a.m. –  2:00 p.m.

Manhattan Campus Hours:

  • Location: 4th floor, room 434
  • Monday – Thursday, 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
  • Saturday, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
  • Thursday, December 23, 9:00 a.m. –  2:00 p.m.

Information on when/if to quarantine:

  • Under current guidelines, vaccinated individuals with no symptoms do not need to quarantine if they are a close contact to someone with COVID-19 and may continue to come to campus.  These individuals need to wear a mask for the next 14 days from the exposure, should test between day 5-7 (unless symptoms develop, and you should test immediately), and continue to monitor symptoms for up to 14 days from the exposure.   
  • For answers to other Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about quarantine and other topics, we encourage you to visit the dedicated COVID-19 webpage

Thank you again for your ongoing cooperation,

Colleen Powers
Director of Health and Wellness, Student Health Center