All State University of New York and City University of New York students who are eligible will be required to get the COVID-19 booster shot before returning to campus after the winter break, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Friday.

All faculty at these institutions will also be required to receive the vaccine.

Health officials recommend individuals can get a booster shot six months after receiving the first round of COVID-19 shots.

This mandate officially takes effect on Jan. 15.

"This is how we're going to ensure that these campuses stay open," Hochul said. "As I've said all along, we're going to protect the health of New Yorkers, but also health of the economy. When you think about what happens to many of the smaller communities, particularly upstate, Long Island. When a community college shuts down or a SUNY school or private school shuts down, that is devastating to the local economy." 

Many schools have made the booster shot a requirement on their own.

Students will still be required to wear masks in indoor public places, follow CDC and New York state quarantine policies if they test positive, and submit a negative COVID-19 test before returning to campus.

Hochul's five-step "Winter Surge 2.0" plan also strongly emphasizes keeping elementary and high school classrooms open for in-person learning with increased testing.

According to the governor and Director of State Operations Kathryn Garcia, over 5.2 million take-home rapid tests have arrived for distribution at schools across the state.

An additional six million more are expected to arrive Monday.