Campus officials announced Thursday that face coverings will continue to be required indoors through March 6, superseding previous plans to lift indoor masking requirements beginning Feb. 28.
Beginning March 7, masks will be strongly recommended, but not required, for fully vaccinated individuals indoors, according to campus spokesperson Janet Gilmore. Those who are not fully vaccinated will still be required to wear masks indoors after March 6, she noted.
Campus defines fully vaccinated individuals as those who have received their initial course of COVID-19 vaccines along with a booster shot if eligible and a flu shot.
The one week extension of the mask mandate came in response to concerns shared to the campus Recovery Management Team from those “apprehensive” about sharing a space with unmasked people. According to Gilmore, the delay also allows more time for vulnerable individuals to request accommodations.
“Throughout the pandemic the campus has prioritized alignment with public health guidance and continues to do so,” Gilmore said in an email. “Campus leaders are very concerned about protecting the most medically vulnerable people in our population.”