{"id":93202,"date":"2022-04-15T05:30:17","date_gmt":"2022-04-15T09:30:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/coronavirus-update\/?p=93202"},"modified":"2022-04-15T13:41:49","modified_gmt":"2022-04-15T17:41:49","slug":"face-mask-mandate-reinstated-on-university-campuses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/coronavirus-update\/face-mask-mandate-reinstated-on-university-campuses\/","title":{"rendered":"Face mask mandate reinstated on University campuses"},"content":{"rendered":"

In response to a current spike in COVID infections on campus, and in order to get everyone over the finish line of the spring semester, the University has decided, effective immediately, to reinstate for the time being the indoor face-masking requirement on the University campuses and properties. <\/strong><\/p>\n

This requirement applies to all students, faculty, staff, visitors, and others\u2014including those who are fully vaccinated and boosted.<\/strong> All Medical Center \u201ctan\u201d locations<\/a> \u2014including the School of Nursing, School of Medicine and Dentistry, and administrative areas such as Corporate Woods and RTP\u2014are also included; there is no change to masking requirements in patient care areas, as they have and will continue to require masking until further notice. (To access the URMC Intranet<\/a>,\u00a0 you must be on the University network.)<\/p>\n

Face masks are not required at Memorial Art Gallery.<\/p>\n

Throughout the pandemic, we have followed the latest science and government guidance, and made decisions based on what\u2019s been happening on campus at any given time. The trending high numbers of positive student COVID cases at the University in recent days make it in everyone\u2019s best interest to take the step of re-masking indoors right now. We hope that this will bring down the number of positive cases and prevent an unmanageable surge in infections, which are already straining the capacity of the University\u2019s quarantine and isolation spaces for students as well as creating significant challenges for student health, facilities, and dining services. Bringing down the campus infection rate will also protect vulnerable members of our community, and hopefully keep students healthy as they complete their finals and conclude the semester.<\/p>\n

We know this isn\u2019t welcome news, but we\u2019re not alone: many of the University\u2019s peer institutions in the Northeast have reinstated their indoor masking requirements given the relatively high current COVID numbers, especially compared to other parts of the U.S.<\/p>\n

As part of today\u2019s decision:<\/p>\n