COVID-19 Updates
November 1, 2021
Dear Members of the Hobart and William Smith Community,
We wish you well on this crisp November morning. We are happy to report that we continue to have no COVID cases on campus. We once again thank everyone for your vigilance in keeping the community safe. As a reminder, masks are still required in indoor spaces. You will likely notice, however, that plexiglass dividers have been removed from the dining facilities as they have not been shown to mitigate virus transmission. We continue to monitor the science and make informed decisions as we learn more.
We have started turning our attention to the spring. We are developing an entry testing plan for the return of students in January. Ontario County is working to secure a booster clinic for us the last week of January. Note that there are now booster recommendations for all three COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States. The CDC and New York State Department of Health recommend that certain individuals who received a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at least six months after their initial series get their “booster dose.” These individuals include those who are 65 years and older and individuals who are 18 and older who live in long-term care settings, have underlying medical conditions, or who work or live in high-risk settings including those that work as education staff. Additionally, booster doses are recommended for all individuals 18 and older who received the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine at least two months ago.
We wish you all a great start to your month. As always, please reach out any time if you have questions.
Sincerely,
Sarah Kirk
Provost and Dean of Faculty
B. B. Barile
Vice President for Campus Life and Dean of Students