Throughout the spring semester we continue to see low case counts on our campus and in our community. This, coupled with our high vaccination rate on campus, prompted the COVID Response Team to further relax the mask guidelines on campus. These updated guidelines are consistent with the CDC framework which indicates that masking indoors is not required.
Effective at the end of the day on Friday, April 15, the College will move to a mask optional policy for all public indoor spaces including classrooms, the Clark Family Library and other academic spaces. If a physician has advised you to avoid mask optional spaces, please contact Academic Affairs (academicaffairs@washjeff.edu).
We also support and respect any individual who wishes to continue to wear a mask in public settings for their personal health and safety. Please continue to carry a mask with you and be respectful of any individual who requests that masks be worn in their presence. In some instances, you may be asked to wear a mask when in individual meetings or in larger group settings.
Please know that we are continuing to monitor both the CDC guidelines and the safety conditions in the City of Washington and Washington County. These guidelines may need to change quickly depending on that information. Additionally, we will still maintain our COVID-19 protocols throughout this process if someone tests positive for COVID-19. As a reminder, the CDC recommends N95 and KN95 masks as protection from COVID even when others are not wearing masks.
As always, we encourage everyone to be mindful of maintaining best practices for personal health and safety and to make decisions that are best for themselves and their families.
COVID-19 Response Team