Reinstituting Masking Requirement

Friday, July 30, 2021

Summary: Yale is reinstituting the requirement that all individuals wear masks in indoor campus spaces regardless of their vaccination status. Deans and Officers (or their designees) should review plans for staff who are scheduled to return to campus during the weeks of August 2 and August 9, to determine if some moderation may be appropriate. All staff, faculty, and students must update their vaccination status by August 1. 

Dear Members of the Yale Community,

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently updated its guidance for fully vaccinated individuals due to the Delta variant of COVID-19. The CDC recommends that everyone, including fully vaccinated individuals, mask indoors in public spaces when local conditions are at a “substantial” or “high” level of viral transmission. Yesterday, the CDC determined that New Haven County has reached a “substantial” level of transmission.

Out of an abundance of caution and in accordance with CDC guidance, we are reinstituting the requirement that all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, wear masks in indoor campus spaces. Starting Monday, August 2, masks must be worn indoors except when you are alone in a segregated space, like working in a private office or seated in a partitioned cubicle. We will closely monitor the need for this requirement in the coming weeks.

Deans and Officers (or their designees) should review plans for staff who are scheduled to return to campus during the weeks of August 2 and August 9, to determine if some moderation may be appropriate. Staff should assume that they will be informed by their unit’s leadership if there is any change in plans. We remain committed to our goal of working and studying together on campus this semester as scheduled.

Vaccination remains the most effective way to prevent infection and transmission. We remind you of the requirement to document your vaccination or receive an approved exemption by August 1. We will provide an update next week on our progress toward substantially vaccinating our community.

Thank you for all your contributions to the health and sustained operations of our campus community.

Scott Strobel, Provost
Jack Callahan, Jr., Senior Vice President for Operations