Notice

March 4, 2022 Dear NYFA Students, Faculty and Staff, There has been a significant decline in the incident rates of COVID-19 illness, hospitalizations and deaths reported in our campus regions. In response to steep declines in Omicron infections throughout many counties in the US, the CDC has relaxed its guidelines on wearing masks indoors in public places. Governors of various US states have also announced the relaxation of the mask mandate in K-12 schools, scheduled for the coming week. We are in a stage of transition. Gradually, and with feelings of both hope and trepidation, we are stradling, perhaps, the last weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic and the first days, perhaps, of the COVID-19 endemic. Yet we do not know definitively what is ahead– in regard to emerging variants of concern and the timing for when the old pandemic phase ends and the new endemic phase begins. The focus of the CDC and local and state public health departments, as they navigate this possible transition from pandemic to endemic, is less about the prevention of virus transmission and more about the prevention of severe disease and sustaining the effectiveness of the US Healthcare System. NYFA, given the interactive, group-based and hands-on nature of our programs, will remain focused on mitigating the transmission of the virus within our communities. The delivery of the educational experience we aim to offer depends on all students, faculty and staff being able to be present and engaged, without even mild COVID-19 illness, and without the distracting and draining feelings of fear and anxiety. In consultation with our medical consultant Dr. Bloland, and in careful review of the published opinions of renowned epidemiologists across the country, NYFA has decided to maintain, for the immediate future, the general requirement of wearing high quality masks when indoors and participating in classes and NYFA related activities. NYFA will, however, begin to relax some of its health and safety protocols in response to the declining rates of illness in our communities. Effective immediately: Up-to-date actors who are performing indoors, in class or in production, may remove their masks exclusively during the duration of their performance. Depending on circumstances, actors wanting to remove their masks for a performance may be required to present negative test results of COVID-19 rapid tests administered prior to each day of performance.   All may remove masks during outdoor production, outdoor classes, or outdoor NYFA related activities.   Up-to-date students, faculty, and staff may remove masks while eating, but only in designated eating areas.   NYFA will continue to consider ways to relax restrictions In the weeks and months ahead. We will continue to stay informed of emerging variants of concern. We will continue to monitor incidence rates of COVID-19 within our cities and within our communities. And we will continue to revise and update our health and safety protocols holding paramount the health and safety of our community. If the incident rates of COVID-19 illness, hospitalization or death increases in our campus regions or if the emergence of new variants generates concern among the global scientific community, NYFA will tighten its health and safety restrictions to protect the community from increasing risk of illness. We remain so very grateful to each of you. Because of your cooperation with our existing health and safety protocols-- vaccination/booster doses of vaccination, serial and surveillance testing, Symptom Tracker screenings, and masking -virus transmission within our communities has been minimal throughout the course of this pandemic. We move forward to the next phase of this ever-changing journey with great appreciation, admiration, and respect. NYFA COVID-19 Response Team