COVID-19 Updated Safety Guidelines- Overview

As we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, we are appreciative of the opportunity to continue gathering our students, faculty, staff, and community members back in our brownstone. We will remain flexible with personal preferences for online or in-person learning, but for those who are comfortable, we have outlined our reopening preparedness, expectations for our community members, and protocols to keep everyone safe and healthy.

For almost one year now, Bloomingdale School of Music (BSM) has operated under the “Green” phase of in-person activity as outlined by the State of New York and New York City. As we enter another year of in-person learning, we have made several updates to our COVID-19 policies which cover practices around vaccinations, face coverings, procedures for exposure, and more. Please feel free to read the updated policies in their entirety by clicking here and keep the following in mind

•  Our vaccination policy for all visitors (students, families, staff, and guests) over the age of 5 entering the school will remain in effect.
• Face coverings are now optional for building visitors aged 5 and up who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, including students, parents, and guests.
  •  All Early Childhood classes will remain masked including students, faculty, and parents/caregivers in the classroom.
  • Any unvaccinated visitors under 5 must continue to wear face masks while in BSM facilities.
  • Concert patrons attending any in-school event or function will remain masked.
  • Masks are still required for voice lessons and large ensembles.
• Bloomingdale will discontinue the self-screening survey which was previously required prior to entering the school. All faculty, staff, students, families, and all other building visitors should continue to self-screen and stay home if they are exposed to a positive case, experiencing symptoms, or have recently tested positive for COVID-19.
•  Bloomingdale has outlined procedures on page 13 for isolating, testing, and returning to in-person study for persons who
  •  Were exposed to COVID-19 and are NOT up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations
  • Were exposed to COVID-19 and are up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations
  • Were exposed to COVID-19 and had confirmed COVID-19 within the past 90 days (you tested positive using a viral test)
  • Tested positive for COVID-19 or have symptoms, regardless of vaccination status and
  • If you got very sick from COVID-19 or have a weakened immune system.

To read procedures for each group, please refer to pages 16-18 of the complete COVID-19 Safety Guidelines and Procedures document. For the health and safety of the entire Bloomingdale community, it is important for those who have a confirmed exposure or test positive for COVID-19 to contact Bloomingdale as soon as possible so that appropriate steps can be taken. Students who test positive for COVID-19 should contact The Registration Team. Employees should contact their supervisors.