U. Mass. Amherst will require students, faculty and staff to wear face coverings indoors, in public spaces when the fall semester begins, regardless of whether they are vaccinated against covid. That requirement begins on Wednesday. The school says it’s making the move, since many students will be arriving from massachusetts counties, now designated as substantial or high risk for covid.
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UMass-Amherst requiring face coverings for start of fall semester
Updated: 7:19 PM EDT Aug 9, 2021
Massachusetts’ largest public university will require students, faculty and staff to wear face coverings when the fall semester begins, regardless of whether individuals are vaccinated against COVID-19. The requirement begins on Aug. 11, officials announced Monday.”Most Massachusetts counties and many others across the country are now designated as substantial or high risk for COVID-19,” UMass officials wrote. “With students scheduled to arrive in Amherst from these locations, the campus has adopted an indoor mask requirement to mitigate the risk of transmission at the start of the fall semester.”The requirement applies in nearly all indoor public spaces including classrooms, hallways, elevators, restrooms, break rooms, laboratories, meeting rooms, shared offices and work areas.Masks are not required when an individual is alone in personal offices or research spaces, when eating in the dining halls, in residence hall rooms or outdoors.UMass leaders plan to reevaluate the requirement in mid-September. “Indoor mask-wearing is particularly important to mitigate the spread from asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic carriers who are not aware they are infectious, and when other public health measures such as social distancing are not possible,” officials wrote.
Massachusetts’ largest public university will require students, faculty and staff to wear face coverings when the fall semester begins, regardless of whether individuals are vaccinated against COVID-19.
The requirement begins on Aug. 11, officials announced Monday.
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“Most Massachusetts counties and many others across the country are now designated as substantial or high risk for COVID-19,” UMass officials wrote. “With students scheduled to arrive in Amherst from these locations, the campus has adopted an indoor mask requirement to mitigate the risk of transmission at the start of the fall semester.”
The requirement applies in nearly all indoor public spaces including classrooms, hallways, elevators, restrooms, break rooms, laboratories, meeting rooms, shared offices and work areas.
Masks are not required when an individual is alone in personal offices or research spaces, when eating in the dining halls, in residence hall rooms or outdoors.
UMass leaders plan to reevaluate the requirement in mid-September.
“Indoor mask-wearing is particularly important to mitigate the spread from asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic carriers who are not aware they are infectious, and when other public health measures such as social distancing are not possible,” officials wrote.