NEW YORK – Schools, colleges and universities will be able to hold in-person graduation ceremonies for students across New York State starting next month, though coronavirus-related rules depend on the number of people and the location of each. event, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Monday night.
As of May 1, indoor and outdoor graduations will be allowed.
Institutions will have to meet certain requirements: attendees must wear masks, physical distancing must be respected, accept health tests, and provide event organizers with their personal information in the event that it is necessary to trace event contacts.
People attending events that exceed the social gathering limits, (100 people indoors, 200 people outdoors), must present proof of a complete vaccination series or a recent negative COVID-19 test, which lines up with the above guide for such events. Event organizers must also notify the local Health Department in advance.
Here are some of the different rules depending on the number of people and the location of the event:
OUTDOOR EVENTS
- Large-scale ceremonies with more than 500 people in outdoor venues will be limited to 20 percent capacity, also including venues with a total capacity of 2,500 or more.
- Medium-scale ceremonies of 201 to 500 people in outdoor venues will be limited to 33 percent of capacity.
- Ceremonies of up to 200 people or 2 attendees per student in outdoor venues will be limited to 50 percent of capacity. Proof of recent negative test result or proof of complete immunization is optional.
INDOOR EVENTS
- Large-scale ceremonies of more than 150 people in indoor venues will be limited to 10 percent of capacity, also including venues with a total capacity of 1,500 or more.
- Medium-scale ceremonies of 101-150 people indoors will be limited to 33 percent of capacity.
- Small-scale ceremonies of up to 100 people or 2 attendees per student indoors will be limited to 50 percent of capacity. Proof of recent negative test result or proof of complete immunization is optional.
Early monday, The Governor announced a new state program to provide vaccine allocation directly to SUNY and private universities. The goal is to vaccinate as many students as possible before they leave campus for the summer.
The issue of vaccinations – specifically, whether students should be fully vaccinated before returning to campus in the fall – has been a key point of debate for US colleges and universities across the country.
Universities such as Rutgers, Brown, Cornell and Northeastern recently told students that they should get vaccinated before returning to campus next fall. They hope to achieve herd immunity on campus, which they say would allow them to loosen space restrictions in classrooms and dormitories.
But some universities leave the decision to the students and others believe they cannot legally enforce the vaccines. At Virginia Tech, officials determined they can’t because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has only allowed emergency use of the vaccines and has not given them full approval.
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