NY Will Allow Graduation Ceremonies With Restrictions

NEW YORK — High schools, colleges and universities may hold graduation ceremonies in person this spring — with restrictions, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday.

"We continue to encourage virtual or drive-in events, but we deserve a break and students deserve their day and families deserve a little good news," Cuomo said during an afternoon news briefing. "It's been a long year."

The new guidance goes into effect May 1, following the state's plans (also with restrictions) to allow sports, arts and entertainment to resume, along with weddings and other catered events.

Both indoor and outdoor graduation and commencement ceremonies will be allowed with limited attendee capacity, which will depend on the event's size and location.

Also, all event organizers and venues hosting ceremonies must follow the state's strict health and safety protocols, including requiring face masks, social distancing, health screenings and collection of contact tracing information.

For events that exceed the social gathering limits of 100 people indoors or 200 people outdoors, event organizers and venues must notify the local health department and require attendees to show proof of a recent negative test result or proof of completed immunization prior to entry.

Outdoor Events:

• Large-scale ceremonies of over 500 people at outdoor venues will be limited to 20 percent of capacity, applicable to venues with a total capacity of 2,500 or more.
• Medium-scale ceremonies of 201-500 people at outdoor venues will be limited to 33 percent of capacity.
• Small-scale ceremonies of up to 200 people or 2 attendees per student at outdoor venues will be limited to 50 percent of capacity. Proof of recent negative test result or proof of completed immunization is optional for small-scale ceremonies.

Indoor Events:

• Large-scale ceremonies of over 150 people at indoor venues will be limited to 10 percent of capacity, applicable to venues with a total capacity of 1,500 or more.
• Medium-scale ceremonies of 101-150 people at indoor venues will be limited to 33 percent of capacity.
• Small-scale ceremonies of up to 100 people or 2 attendees per student at indoor venues will be limited to 50 percent of capacity. Proof of recent negative test result or proof of completed immunization is optional.

These requirements are consistent with the guidance for other commercial and social activities, including catered receptions, performing arts and sports competitions, which further re-open the economy as New York's coronavirus positivity and hospitalization rates continue to decline.

"With more people getting vaccinated every day, we are so close to the light at the end of the tunnel, but we all need to continue being vigilant and I am urging everyone to celebrate smart," Cuomo said.

Detailed guidance for graduation events is available here.