General Guidelines for Healthy Facilities

MEC will continue to facilitate many approaches to limit the spread of communicable diseases. These include regular and enhanced cleaning, safe disinfection when necessary, improved ventilation, and maintaining healthy facilities. Faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to report unsafe conditions to Facilities at extension 6123 or email FacilityM@mec.cuny.edu.

Cleaning

According to the CDC guidelines, if someone is suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19, the campus does not necessarily need to close operations if they can close off the affected areas. Following notice of a positive case, if it has been fewer than 24 hours since the person was on campus, the affected area is closed off and appropriately cleaned and disinfected by Custodial Services. Once the area has been appropriately cleaned and disinfected, it can be reopened.

The custodial staff will continue to enhance the cleaning of high-traffic areas and touchpoints across the campus, adhering to hygiene, cleaning, and disinfection requirements from the CDC and the Department of Health. The custodian will use applicable CDC and NYS Department of Health guidelines, including a DEC- and EPA-registered disinfectant for use against SARS-CoV-2,

Metrics and Early Warning 

CUNY and MEC will continue to monitor the campus and community infection rates. CUNY Central Office will consult with President to determine the best course of action for additional safety protocols or scaling back campus activity, if necessary. Any decisions on shutting down particular buildings/areas within campuses, individual campuses, or multiple campuses, as appropriate, will be made by the Chancellery/COO’s Office in consultation with local/State authorities.

Reclosing Plan – Shutdown Plan

The College welcomes more in-person activities for Spring 2023. It will continue to have the COVID Task Force Committee activated as we navigate the ongoing health pandemic, including actions to reduce and eliminate the possibility of an outbreak. Additionally, using NYS Higher Education Supplemental Guidance, we will continue to monitor the situation at the local and state level of transmission rates. The College is equipped and prepared to shut down if the pandemic resurfaces. We can switch and deploy distance learning modalities; provide technology, tools, and resources for distance learning; employ ways to minimize everyone’s potential exposure; to communicate with the campus community. In the event of a shutdown, the College will use all available communication platforms to inform faculty, staff, students, and the community of the process and procedure.

The College maintains a plan for shutdown by the Reclosing Protocols: CUNY’s Guide for Safely Closing On-Campus Operations for additional information on criteria for shutdown and shutdown protocols. The CUNY makes final decisions on shutting down in consultation with local/state authorities.