Important Campus COVID-19 Reminders and Updates
Updated: May 9, 2022
For a list of permitted activities and continued restrictions, please visit this link.
Masks. We will continue to require the wearing of non-cloth masks in instructional spaces for Summer sessions. As has been our policy all year, instructors have the option to remove their masks while teaching. Current policies on masking in all other settings continue unchanged, with masking optional for other public settings with the exception of clinical contexts where masking is required.
COVID-19 vaccinations. The primary series of the COVID-19 vaccines is required for all faculty, staff and students, unless a formal medical or religious exemption is granted. All visitors must also have proof of vaccination, submitted to the sponsoring department or school, prior to admission to indoor locations. COVID-19 booster doses are strongly recommended for all eligible individuals. The primary series plus one booster will be required for all students registering for the Fall 2022 semester.
Columbia Compact. All faculty, staff and students must sign the Columbia Compact.
Columbia COVID-19 testing program. The testing program will be phased-out by May 12, as testing is readily available in public and private locations, as well as through self-tests, and surveillance testing no longer plays the important role that it did previously, in the context of high vaccination/booster coverage at the University. Wastewater surveillance will continue for undergraduate residential buildings. Should public health conditions change, we will reassess the need for on-campus testing options. In addition, the Contact Tracing Program will continue to provide information and guidance as necessary. Information on accessing self-testing kits is available on Columbia’s Human Resources website.
COVID-19 training. Effective June 1, we will no longer require COVID-19 training for new hires or newly admitted students. The fundamentals of COVID-19 and relevant safety protocols will still be included in faculty, staff and student orientation materials.
Morningside and Manhattanville Students: A Guide to At-Home COVID-19 Tests
How to get no-cost, at-home tests
- Utilize your insurance plan for an FDA-authorized test
- Students on the Columbia Student Health Insurance Plan can learn more about purchasing, reimbursement, and out-of-pocket cost options for at-home test kits on the Columbia Health website.
- Students who are not on the Columbia Plan should contact their insurance provider for details about how to obtain tests with no out-of-pocket costs or submit for reimbursement for their at-home tests.
- Order through covidtests.gov. Households may be eligible to receive 4 free FDA-authorized at-home tests. You may also order by phone at 1-800-232-0233. Students living in undergraduate residence halls may experience challenges in ordering to their campus address. Columbia is working with the US Postal Service to resolve this issue.
