New York Film Academy
August 19, 2022

Dear NYFA Students, Faculty and Staff,

We look forward to welcoming you to campus for Fall 2022.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic we have reviewed and updated our policies and protocols to align with community metrics and local and state public health department directives. Our mission is steadfast- to promote the safety of our community while continuing to provide the quality, hands-on and in-person instruction that is vital to our educational mission.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recently updated their guidelines for community response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The NYFA COVID-19 Task Force has reviewed these updates and incorporated some of its new guidance into our COVID Safety Plan. Our updates to the NYFA COVID Safety Plan, highlighted below, will allow us to engage, create, and learn together safely and productively. Please know that policies outlined below may be revised at any time in response to new developments in the evolution and transmission of the SARS CoV-2 virus.

UPDATED ISOLATION GUIDELINES FOR SUSPECTED AND CONFIRMED COVID-19
  1. If you experience ONE or more COVID-19 related symptoms:
    1. Report symptoms to the NYFA Symptom Tracker with immediacy, regardless of whether or not you are scheduled to be on campus or attend a NYFA activity.
    2. Get a RT-PCR COVID-19 Test and submit test results to your campus COVID-19 Team Administrator.
    3. If your test result is NEGATIVE, you may participate in in-person classes or activities if and only if you have had no fever for at least 24 hours, without the use of fever-reducing medication, AND all your symptoms are improving.
    4. Do not return to classes until you are cleared to do so by your COVID-19 Team Administrator.

  2. If you TEST POSITIVE for COVID-19
    1. Report positive test result to COVID-19 Team Administrator.
    2. Participate openly and honestly in the contact tracing process.
    3. Stay home and follow the isolation guidelines provided to you by the COVID-19 Team Administrator
    4. Isolate for 10 full days. You may return to campus on DAY 11 of your isolation period (DAY ZERO is the first day you experienced symptoms, or if you are asymptomatic, the day you were tested) if you have had no fever for at least 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication AND most of your symptoms are improving AND none of your symptoms are worsening AND you are experiencing no new symptoms AND you are cleared to do so by your COVID-19 Team Administrator
    5. You may be granted an Early Release from Isolation, if and only if you meet the ALL of the following criteria:
      1. You get tested with a rapid antigen test on DAY 6 (DAY ZERO is the first day you experienced symptoms, or if you are asymptomatic, the day you were tested) and you submit proof of a negative test result to your COVID-19 Team Administrator.
      2. You have had no fever for at least 24 hours, without the use of fever-reducing medication.
      3. All your symptoms are improving
      4. You are cleared to do so by your COVID-19 Team Administrator.
    6. Wear a N95/KN95 mask for the 10 FULL DAYS of your isolation period. You will not be permitted to remove your mask for any reason other than to drink water while on campus and attending classes. It is also recommended that you wear your mask when home and when outdoors and in close contact with others.
UPDATED QUARANTINE GUIDELINES POST EXPOSURE AND TRAVEL
Regardless of vaccination status, students and employees are exempt from quarantine after having been exposed to someone diagnosed with COVID-19 and after travel if and only if they are ASYMPTOMATIC (not experiencing any COVID-19 related symptoms).
  1. If you have been exposed to someone diagnosed with COVID-19:
    1. Report your exposure to the NYFA Symptom Tracker with immediacy, regardless of whether you are scheduled to be on campus and/or participate in a NYFA activity.
    2. You may enter campus and attend in-person classes and activities.
    3. Wear a N95/KN95 mask for the 10 FULL DAYS of your quarantine period. While on campus and attending classes, you will not be permitted to remove your mask for any reason other than to drink water. You may resume routine masking protocols for your campus on DAY 11 (Day Zero is the last day you were exposed to a person who tested positive for COVID-19).
    4. Take a rapid antigen test on DAY 6 (Day Zero is the last day you were exposed to a person who tested positive for COVID-19). Submit test results to your COVID-19 Administrator. NYFA will provide you a rapid antigen test to use on DAY 6 of your exposure at no cost.
    5. If your test result is positive, follow isolation guidelines outlined above.
UPDATED TESTING PROTOCOLS
  1. NYFA is retiring its Serial Testing Program of weekly testing for unvaccinated students/employees.
  2. NYFA is also retiring its Surveillance Testing Program of randomized testing of students/employees “up-to-date” with the COVID-19 vaccines. NYFA, however, may resume surveillance testing without warning in response to indices of increased infection rates within the NYFA communities or campus regions.
  3. NYFA is introducing the Exposure Testing Program. All students and employees regardless of vaccination status who have been exposed to a person with confirmed COVID-19, either within or outside our NYFA community, will be provided a rapid antigen test on DAY 6 of exposure. Students/employees are REQUIRED to self-administer the rapid antigen test and submit test results within 24 hours to their COVID-19 Team Administrator.
UPDATED NYFA TRAVEL GUIDELINES
NYFA has relaxed all restrictions on travel for both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals traveling between and during semesters, domestically and internationally. However all members of the community are strongly advised to follow the CDC Travel Guidelines for International and DomesticTravel, and if traveling internationally, to consult with International Students Services and CDC Travel Advisories. NYFA encourages all travelers to follow the recommendations below:
  1. Do not travel if you have COVID-19 and your isolation period has not ended.
  2. Be up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccines before travel.
  3. Wear a N95/KN95 mask during air travel
  4. Get a COVID-19 rapid antigen or PCR test 3-5 days after return from travel.
  5. Monitor for symptoms for 10 FULL DAYS after return from travel.
ADDITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS of the COVID SAFETY PLAN
Compliance with the following safety protocols remains critical:
  1. MASKING: All students/employees are required to wear a N95/KN95 mask or mask of comparable quality while on campus or off-campus, attending NYFA-related classes and activities. Masks are to be well fitted and cover the nose and mouth.
  2. NYFA SYMPTOM TRACKER: All students/employees are required to complete a health screening via the NYFA Symptom Tracker on days they are scheduled to attend an on-campus or off-campus NYFA related activity or class. During the semester, students and employees are required to complete the NYFA Symptom Tracker with immediacy if they have been exposed to a person diagnosed with COVID-19 and if they experience one or more symptoms related to COVID-19, regardless of when they are scheduled to be present on campus.
  3. CHECKING IN: All students and employees are required to report directly to their campus CHECK IN Station prior to participating in classes or NYFA related activities and events.
  4. PRE-ENTRY TESTING: All students/employees regardless of vaccination status are to submit test results from an RT-PCR COVID-19 Diagnostic Test which was administered no more than 7 days prior to their first day of in-person classes or activities. Testing sites in your campus region can be found here.
  5. COVID-19 VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS: Students and employees must be up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccinations (fully vaccinated and boosted, if eligible) to be permitted to enter campus and participate in NYFA in-person classes and activities.
For questions and assistance regarding matters related to the COVID-19 health and safety guidelines and protocols, please contact the COVID-19 Administrator for your campus:

Los Angeles: covidteamla@nyfa.edu
New York: covidteamny@nyfa.edu
South Beach: covidteamsb@nyfa.edu

The patience, endurance, respect, and endurance you demonstrate each day by adhering to inconvenient and, perhaps, uncomfortable, hygiene and safety protocols is greatly appreciated. We are immensely grateful for your contributions in keeping our campus communities safe.

With sincere appreciation,

The NYFA COVID Response Team