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The University of New Haven’s COVID Task Force announced that it has updated many of the University’s COVID-related policies and procedures, including making face coverings optional in most University spaces, including all classrooms and academic spaces. Face coverings will continue to be required in Health Services, on all University transportation, and in any University COVID-19 testing or vaccination clinics.

This decision is based on the University’s vaccination rate, which is above 97 percent, and the that indicate individuals in counties with a “low” or “medium” COVID-19 community level can choose to wear a face covering based on their personal preference, informed by their personal level of risk.

Each county in Connecticut, including New Haven county, currently has a low community level of COVID-19.

“Great job, �������Թ� Nation,” wrote the COVID Task Force in a University-wide message. “Thanks to your ongoing commitment to protecting yourself and each other, we continue to see a very low number of cases of COVID-19 in our community.

‘The next important step’

All members of the community must continue to use , the University’s COVID-19 management platform, to complete their daily wellness check or to submit symptoms, for the duration of the Spring semester. Students who submit symptoms via CoVerified are assessed by Health Services. Any students are invited to get tested weekly as part of the University’s on-campus asymptomatic COVID-19 testing program.

Community members with a University-approved vaccination exemption must continue to get tested weekly in order to remain cleared in CoVerified.

In order to help identify cases and keep transmission of COVID controlled, students were given an at-home COVID-19 test that they were instructed to take before returning to campus from Spring Break.

Non-community members are welcomed on campus as guests, provided they are up-to-date on their vaccination status or have proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR or viral antigen test taken 72 hours prior to visiting campus.

“Updating our COVID policies and procedures and instituting an optional face covering policy is the next important step in our ongoing and comprehensive response to COVID-19 that will enable our students to continue to maximize their college experience in and out of the classroom,” says Ophelie Rowe-Allen, Ed.D., dean of students and a member of the University’s COVID Task Force.