March 21, 2021

Dear Marist Community,

After careful consideration and guidance from our medical team, the College has decided to extend our campus pause. The College will reassess the data on Friday, March 26 to see if restrictions can be lifted. We will continue to assess data as it becomes available, and will update our dashboard each weekday.

We recognize how difficult this is, especially for our students, but we all need to work together to improve the current conditions. Please know that these decisions are being made with the best interests of the community in mind, and with the aim of resuming more normal activities as soon as possible. Many campuses have had surges at the start of the spring term, and Marist is no different. While we see some positive trends in the data, we must continue to be prudent because of the challenges this virus presents. Here are the updated specifics for our extended pause:

What Does This Mean?

Approved student activities during the temporary pause include:

• Reporting for surveillance/targeted testing, unless in isolation or quarantine.
• Engaging in outdoor activities with their immediate household or pod using safe social distancing practices. Examples of acceptable activities include walking, jogging, throwing a frisbee, etc.
• Essential errands such as grocery shopping, attending medical appointments, internships and off-campus jobs.

During the pause the following limitations will be in place:

• All classes will be remote. New, effective Sunday, March 21.
• The McCann Recreation Center will be fully closed. New, effective Sunday, March 21 at 6:00 p.m.
• No in-person gatherings are permitted outside of immediate households/pods. Acceptable activities for your households/pods are noted below.
• In-person dining will continue to be suspended. All students should continue to use grab-and-go dining.
• No visitors or guests will be permitted in ANY residence hall.
• Division I Athletic programs will continue to be suspended.
• All College-organized in-person activities will be suspended.
• Specific residence halls may be notified of individual measures that may be put into place (e.g. precautionary quarantine, targeted testing).

How Can You Help?
Remember, we are all in this together. We need everyone to stay vigilant and committed to protecting the pack so we can work towards opening our community, returning to in-person instruction, and resuming the on-campus activities we enjoy. If you see any Marist community member violating our COVID-19-related Code of Conduct, please call (845) 575-MASK.

During the pause, surveillance testing will continue. Our comprehensive, tiered testing program is a critical element of our health and safety protocol to keep the Marist community safe. Please continue to report for surveillance testing when you are called. All students and staff are scheduled to be tested once every 14 days.

What Happens Next?
We will continue to update the Marist Community on a deadline for the campus pause as more information becomes available. As always, information about COVID-19 cases related to the College is available on our dashboard, which is updated frequently.

Sincerely,
Geoff Brackett, Executive Vice President
Thom Wermuth, Vice President for Academic Affairs
Deb DiCaprio, Vice President for Student Affairs