Back to Pratt: IMPORTANT: New Testing and Booster Requirements for Spring 2022 (December 22, 2021)

From: Dennis Mazone and Steve Riccobono
Date: Dec 22, 2021
Subject: IMPORTANT: New Testing and Booster Requirements for Spring 2022

Dear Pratt Community,

We want you to be aware of two new requirements to campus access for spring semester 2022. Pratt will require all students, faculty, and staff to have a booster and a new negative PCR test result for campus access upon return to campus, beginning January 18. 

COVID-19 Booster Required

Pratt will require all eligible members of the Pratt community (excluding those with approved exemptions) to receive and upload proof of a COVID-19 booster vaccination for campus access during the spring 2022 semester.

Deadline and eligibility: Pratt community members must have received a booster vaccination and uploaded proof by January 18, or within fourteen (14) days of becoming eligible thereafter. Eligibility for the booster depends upon when each person received the final dose of the initial vaccine:

• six months after the Pfizer or Moderna final dose
• six months after the final dose of any WHO-listed vaccine
• two months after receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine

Also, anyone who has already tested positive for COVID-19 will need to follow the direction of their doctor regarding the booster. Students should contact Health Services and faculty and staff should contact Human Resources with any other questions.

Exemptions: Community members who previously received an approved exemption from Pratt will continue to be exempt from the COVID-19 booster requirement, but will be required to follow the same weekly testing protocol as in the fall semester. 

Get and submit the booster: Find a booster location near you at nychealthandhospitals.org or vaccines.gov. Then, remember to submit proof of the COVID-19 booster on the Back to Pratt website or via the Pratt Safe App within fourteen days of becoming eligible. 

If you have already received your booster, we encourage you to upload your proof as soon as possible. Visit Pratt’s COVID-19 vaccination web page for more information.

Negative COVID-19 Test Result

Pratt will also require all students, faculty, and staff to submit a new negative PCR test result, taken within 72 hours prior to arriving on campus for the spring 2022 semester. The Pratt Digital ID will be reset on Wednesday, January 12, 2022, after which each community member will need to have submitted their test results for their initial access to Pratt’s campuses, residence halls, and studios. Pratt community members who are on campus between January 4 and January 11 may submit a negative test result at any point during that time frame, which will fulfill the testing requirement for the spring semester.

Testing on campus: Testing will be available from 8 AM to 4 PM on both the Brooklyn and Manhattan campuses on the following dates, all of which will be accepted to meet the spring semester requirement:

• January 4, 5
• January 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
• January 18, 19

Additional instructions will be announced in the first week of January. Residential students with questions about testing should reach out to the Residential Life office.

Pratt will also continue to offer voluntary and random on-campus COVID-19 testing during the spring semester. Those who have an approved exemption will continue to be required to participate in the weekly on-campus COVID-19 testing program. Those who have tested positive for COVID-19 are exempt from testing until 90 days have passed from the time they tested positive, and should follow the individual campus access guidance they receive from the Institute.

Your Continued Cooperation

We thank you for your continued willingness to roll with the changing path of this pandemic and your cooperation in ensuring the safety of the members of our community. The combined requirements of a fully boostered vaccination and a new negative test result as we return to campus will be critical to a safe, healthy, and in-person spring semester

Pratt will continue to closely monitor our campus conditions, as well as city, state, and CDC guidelines, and as we all know the situation can change significantly and rapidly. So, please continue to read your Pratt emails, visit Back to Pratt, and practice the safest of health precautions throughout the winter break. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to call the COVID helpline at 718.687.5200, as well as use the FAQ and help page on Back to Pratt.

Sincerely,

Dennis Mazone 
Assistant Vice President for Campus Safety and Preparedness

Steve Riccobono
Assistant Vice President of Human Resources