Covid-19

Office of the President

Updated mask requirements for Commencement

Melanie Balog — Fri, 13 May 2022 12:41:10 +0000

Updated mask requirements for Commencement Melanie Balog Fri, 05/13/2022 - 08:41

Dear Fellow Patriots:

Recent increases in COVID-19 cases have prompted concerns and questions in the university community that I want to address as we head into Commencement week and the completion of the Spring 2022 semester.

We continue to watch conditions daily. The number of cases at George Mason University in recent weeks remains well below the high we experienced this winter. We are following current CDC and local public health guidance on how to respond to COVID conditions. As of this week, Fairfax County community rates are classified as medium, and the county is not calling for a return to mask mandates at this time.

We will continue our current campus policy except for upcoming Commencement and indoor degree ceremonies. We recognize that these events will be attended by many family members who consider this to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness their loved ones complete a major educational milestone. Many attendees may have avoided public events due to COVID risks, so we owe it to our families to take added measures for these events and create as safe an environment as possible. In addition, many are coming from Northern Virginia, where the prevalence rate is classified as medium.

Therefore, for Commencement at EagleBank Arena and all indoor degree celebrations, we will require all students, faculty, staff, and guests in attendance to wear masks. We will have additional supplies on hand for those who arrive without a mask.

Looking ahead to the summer, we will require all summer students living on campus to be regularly tested and we will reevaluate if necessary. We will share more details about our summer plans shortly.

Congratulations on completing another semester in such a safe and responsible manner.

Sincerely,

Gregory Washington

President

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Graduation

Mason campuses are now mask-optional

Melanie Balog — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 13:12:24 +0000

Mason campuses are now mask-optional Melanie Balog Tue, 04/05/2022 - 09:12

Dear Fellow Patriots:

I have more encouraging news to share about our management of COVID-19. The presence of the virus is now at a low point both on Mason’s campuses and in surrounding communities. Our positivity rates have remained well below 1 percent and community transmission in Fairfax County is now categorized as “low.”

The current low level of COVID-19 means that we can take another step forward. Effective immediately, Mason campuses are mask-optional, except in certain event venues, healthcare settings, on public transit, or childcare settings. We are now also COVID test-optional, with the exception of unvaccinated, high-contact students. Visit the Safe Return to Campus page for when and where masks and tests are still required.

Every Mason Patriot should feel free to practice the masking measures that make you feel safe. If you feel more comfortable wearing a mask, we support you. If you choose not to wear a mask where they are optional, we support you as well.

There are steps that we will take to keep our community healthy and safe:

We encourage all students, faculty, and staff to continue to complete the Mason COVID Health Check each day prior to coming to a campus, through Spring Commencement on May 20.
We ask that all students, faculty and staff get tested when they feel symptomatic, either at Student Health Services or at the Peterson Hall testing site.

And FREE 2^nd booster shots for anyone over 50, per CDC and VDH guidelines are available at the Fenwick Testing and Vaccination Center.

Your dedication and compassion for your fellow Patriots has contributed to our success. Let’s keep going and finish this spring semester healthy and safe.

Onward,

Gregory Washington

President

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Mason revises mask guidelines

Melanie Balog — Fri, 04 Mar 2022 15:39:30 +0000

Mason revises mask guidelines Melanie Balog Fri, 03/04/2022 - 10:39

Dear Fellow Patriots:

This is an important day. We have met our goal of keeping our COVID-19 testing positivity rates consistently below 4 percent for the past several weeks, and the latest guidance from the CDC indicates that all of our domestic campuses are at the “Low” level of transmission, which now means the CDC no longer recommends that masks be required indoors.

Last week our positivity rate dropped to 0.29 percent out of more than 4,700 tests conducted. Last Friday alone, not one of the 1,000 tests processed in our Mason laboratory yielded a positive result.

Based on this achievement, I am pleased to announce that Mason is now at Mask Level Yellow, which means effective immediately masks are optional at Mason, except in classrooms and class labs during scheduled classes and or/lab activity. There are several other minor and targeted exceptions that you can read by following the link on the Safe Return to Campus website.

Although we anticipated that mask requirements would remain in place for events with 50+ attendees, new CDC guidance means we will no longer have a mask requirement for events UNLESS specifically required by event organizers.

Requests for exceptions

Faculty and staff who wish to request a medical exemption from wearing a mask where required should contact Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for more information
Students who wish to request a medical exemption from wearing a mask should visit University Life’s Office of Disability Services for more information.
Through the existing event scheduling process, event organizers may require their event be masked by contacting their event coordinator. Please contact University Events for more information.

We will also be relaxing our testing protocols for students in high contact roles and also for unvaccinated students. Mason’s surveillance and diagnostic testing sites will remain open and available to any Mason community member who wishes to be tested, and we encourage you get tested when needed or when you feel you may have been exposed. And as always, we strongly encourage everyone to get up-to-date with their COVID vaccine and booster and to stay home if you feel sick.

I recognize that these changes may bring relief to some and concern to others. If you feel more comfortable wearing your mask, you should feel free to continue. We still encourage you to wear a mask indoors and will support you in doing so. We will also support those who opt to remove their masks. There is room for us all at Mason. Let’s respect one another as we take this next step forward as a thriving and healthy community.

Sincerely,

Gregory Washington

President

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Moving toward optional mask usage

Melanie Balog — Wed, 23 Feb 2022 18:07:21 +0000

Moving toward optional mask usage Melanie Balog Wed, 02/23/2022 - 13:07

Dear Fellow Patriots:

Three weeks ago, I shared news that we are considering changing George Mason University’s COVID-19 mask-wearing requirements. Today I am writing to offer an encouraging update.

As you may recall, I shared that rapidly evolving COVID-19 conditions on our campuses have led us to set March 4 as the date by which we will consider moving to optional mask usage on campus, if Mason’s positivity rate for COVID-19 remains below 4 percent until then.

More than halfway through the evaluation period, Mason’s positivity rate – the percentage of those being tested who are positive for COVID-19 –remains consistently far below the 4 percent threshold, at 0.38 percent. This success, combined with Mason’s 95-percent overall vaccination rate, as well as the continued overall drop in COVID-19 spread throughout the region and nation, now make the pivot to optional mask-wearing more viable.

What this means for Mason

It is increasingly likely that on March 4 we will announce a pivot from our current mask requirement to a mask-optional university environment – with two vital exceptions: It is likely that masks will still be required for all in-person class environments and other similarly enclosed, close-contact settings with greater than 50 people. In all other settings, we will support and encourage the wearing of masks as individuals find appropriate for their circumstances. Finally, we will of course continue to monitor our progress, and will revert to masking if necessary.

What to expect on March 4

We will communicate our final decisions on March 4 about whether we will pivot to a mask-optional university, and what exceptions we will continue to observe. In the meantime, given the trends that continue to point toward a pivot, I encourage you to continue observing our current precautions and expect that some adjustments are coming on March 4.

Stay tuned, Patriots. We will have more guidance very soon.

Sincerely,

Gregory Washington

President

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