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On May 5, 2021, former Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the New York Health and Essential Rights Act (NY HERO Act) into law. The law mandates extensive new workplace health and safety protections in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of the NY HERO Act is to protect employees against exposure and disease during a future airborne infectious disease outbreak.

Under this new law, the New York State Department of Labor (NYS DOL), in consultation with the NYS Department of Health, has developed a new Airborne Infectious Disease Exposure Prevention Standard, a Model Airborne Infectious Disease Exposure Prevention Plan, and various industry-specific model plans for the prevention of airborne infectious disease. Please refer to Volume 3.10.1 of the policy manual to review the Airborne Infectious Disease Exposure Prevention Plan for Ithaca College. 

The above plan will go into effect when an airborne infectious disease is designated by the New York State Commissioner of Health as a highly contagious communicable disease that presents a serious risk of harm to public health. While the State continues to deal with COVID-19 and a risk still exists, no designation from the Commissioner is in effect at this time.*  

*For protocols currently in effect, please visit the College’s COVID Health & Safety page for information on Face Coverings and Physical Distancing, Daily Health Screening, Surveillance Testing, the IC Health Badge, Travel and Visitor Guidelines, and plans for Contact Tracing, Quarantine, and Isolation.