Beginning, Monday, February 21, classrooms and instructional spaces will be mask-optional. This will leave Health Services as the only location on campus where masks will be required.

When taking into account the number of vaccinated students and the documented positive cases among our unvaccinated students, 84.7% of our students have some level of immunity (this number is likely significantly higher due to undocumented and asymptomatic positive cases).  Case counts have steadily dropped here on campus in line with local and national trends.  

 

As a result, we are shifting at this time from community mask mandates and encouraging individuals to take the personal precautions available to them.  We encourage those with greater health risks to wear protective masks as appropriate. Verified N95 and KN95 masks provide the best protection.  One-way masking, when using the best mask fitted properly,does provide protection to the wearer.

        
This latest change may feel too soon for some of you and too late for others.  We will never get it quite right in everyone's eyes.  Regardless, as a committee we believe it is important to remember that we are still a community called to act in kindness and charity, putting the needs of others before our own as certain situations arise that give us a chance to practice our commitment to one another.  Our isolation and quarantine protocols are still in effect per Georgia Department Public Health guidance, including masking when quarantined for the protection of others.