SU moving to ‘YELLOW’ COVID-19 level, masks no longer required for all in academic instruction

Syracuse University will move to a “YELLOW” COVID-19 masking level on Monday, March 14, Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation Mike Haynie announced in an email Tuesday afternoon.

Under this level, masks are only recommended indoors in the presence of others and outdoors in large group settings for people who are vaccinated. Those who are unvaccinated are required to continue wearing a mask indoors at all times and outdoors in the presence of others.

Masks are no longer required for vaccinated individuals during academic instruction.

Haynie wrote in the email that several indicators were used to inform this decision. At SU, random surveillance testing positivity rates have averaged between 0.9% and 2.1%, Haynie said. The vice chancellor also noted that SU has a high rate of compliance for its vaccination and booster policy.

“The action we’re announcing today is possible because of our community’s commitment to good public health practices — particularly the overwhelming campus community compliance with the university’s COVID vaccination and booster requirement,” Haynie wrote in the email.

As of March 8, SU has 102 active COVID-19 cases and a positivity rate of 2.3%.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Onondaga County currently has a “medium” COVID-19 Community Level.

Haynie also announced that randomized surveillance testing will continue with some changes.

“To further ease the COVID-related requirements for fully vaccinated individuals, we will begin to reduce the number of vaccinated individuals required to test each week, while prioritizing ongoing testing for vaccine-exempt individuals,” Haynie wrote.