The University campus will return to many protocols effective during the 2021 fall semester — including changes on masking, gatherings and travel — after consulting with public health experts, the University wrote in an email Thursday evening. All protocols will go into effect Friday at 5 p.m.
Masks will not be required indoors on campus except in public areas where visitors are commonly present, instructional spaces where professors require masks and for all individuals who are not vaccinated or boosted. A full list of campus buildings requiring masks can be found online. The email stated that members of the campus community are expected to carry a mask with them at all times.
Gatherings for members of the campus community can now include food and beverages. Visitors are still required to wear masks in most cases.
The University’s updated travel policy is similar to that of last fall. All University-sponsored travel must be approved in advance by an administrator, including for University-sponsored group travel.
The email was signed by interim provost Christine Maziar, executive vice president Shannon Cullinan and vice president for student affairs Fr. Gerard Olinger. In it, they thanked the community for its “ongoing generosity and commitment” to safety and reported a positivity rate of 8.6% last week — a decrease from the 21% positivity rate the week prior.
“We ask you to continue to mask and follow health protocols whenever you are uncertain about the vaccination status of those around you, whether on campus or in the local community where approximately 56 percent of residents are fully vaccinated, and to seek medical attention promptly if you experience COVID-19 symptoms,” the email said.
