It’s been more than three years since COVID-19 was declared a national emergency, and within that time millions of people died, more became infected and the world came to a halt. However, over the past several months, businesses and schools nationwide have been reopening. In May, President Joe Biden announced that COVID-19’s national emergency status had expired and would not be renewed. This led to many organizations ending their mandates and beginning to go back to what they considered “normal”; Fordham was among them.
Within two weeks of Biden’s announcement, Fordham President Tania Tetlow sent an email informing the Fordham community that the university would be ending its COVID-19 policies. These included mandatory vaccines, daily health checks and emails reporting positive cases.
“Vaccines will no longer be required, however, because new variants increasingly have evaded the vaccine’s initially strong ability to prevent transmission of the disease,” said Tetlow in her statement. “What was once a critical way to protect the most vulnerable in our community has become more of an individual choice about safety, one we urge you to take seriously.”
Since then, many changes have taken place across campus: the testing trailers in the O’Hare parking lot have vanished, the posters informing students they can get vaccinated at the Health Center have been removed and the Finlay isolation dorms have returned to their previous state.
Due to the lack of isolation dorms, students who test positive are expected to isolate within their own dorm rooms.
“We are treating the individual residential room or apartment as a family unit. The roommates are already exposed so they will need to monitor their health,” said Maureen Keown, the director of health services. “Students need to be isolated for five days post-illness onset or positive test in their rooms or at home. They should not go to class. After day five they can resume classes but need to wear a well-fitted mask until day 10 is completed.”
The Health Center no longer has tests to hand out, will only test students if they are experiencing symptoms and recommends students purchase their own at-home testing kits.
Some students feel that the university’s COVID-19 policies could be more effective.
“I wish Fordham was more organized when students get COVID,” said Camillia Amiri, FCRH ’27. “I felt when my roommates got COVID, things were not handled with the efficiency that I wish they were handled.”
There has been an uptick in cases since the start of the school year, and solutions have ranged from students returning home to attending classes masked.
The FDA recently approved new booster shots on Monday, Sept. 11, and they will soon be rolled out to pharmacies across the country.
“The demand for vaccines and boosters in our college population is not high, and we feel that the local pharmacies will be able to meet the needs of the students,” said Keown. “Also, vaccines are not free anymore through the government programs that we had in the past.”
According to the Health Center website, the COVID-19 policy is subject to change as the disease evolves.
“We will continue to comply with any additional recommendations from the New York City Department of Health and New York State Department of Health if they become available.”
Overall, the university recommends students use discretion if they come into contact with COVID-19 and take care of themselves.
“We will continue to be prepared for whatever the world may throw at us,” said Tetlow in her statement, “while praying for a reprieve from these ridiculously difficult times.”
Further updates are shared to the university via email.
