Update on COVID-19 Protocols
The following was sent to all members of the Boston University Community on Tuesday, March 1, 2022 from Dr. Judy Platt, MD, Chief Health Officer and Executive Director of Student Health Services. Please note the content on these pages and files is no longer being updated and may be out of date.
Dear Members of our Boston University Community,
State, local, and Boston University data, all continue to indicate favorable trends related to COVID-19. Last week’s 7 day test positivity rate for all BU community members was well under 1.0%. In recognition of this, we are announcing some important changes to our COVID-19 protocols beginning on March 7, 2022.
Faculty and Staff Community Testing
Faculty and staff will no longer be required to test weekly as part of our regular community testing program. Testing will still be available for faculty and staff who would like to continue testing or who need to test due to a close contact exposure. We encourage anyone with symptoms to continue to self-schedule testing through the Healthway portals at the Health Services Annex.
Face Masks
We have updated our face mask policy and are no longer requiring masks to be worn in most areas on our campuses including dining halls, residential housing common areas, shared offices, libraries, food courts, Fit-Rec, athletic venues, and common areas in buildings and colleges. Masks continue to be required indoors for classes, on the BU Shuttle, and in all healthcare facilities.
We encourage everyone to continue to use high-quality filtering masks such as N95s, KN95s, KF94s, and FFP2s to reduce viral transmission based on personal risk. We ask that everyone be respectful of optional mask use in areas that no longer have a mask requirement in place and acknowledge that this will be a significant transition for many.
A high-quality mask worn correctly will significantly reduce the risk of viral transmission even if others around you are not masked. The CDC has also recently updated their masking guidance based on levels of community transmission with a COVID-19 County Check search function available for reference. At this time Boston and Brookline still have public mask mandates in place so it is important to keep a mask with you and be aware of local regulations.
Vaccination Verification at Public Venues
We continue to recommend that all visitors to Boston University are up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations and adhere to any masking policies that are in effect. The Fitness & Recreation Center and venues which host ticketed and non-ticketed entertainment and athletic events open to the general public will no longer be requiring proof of vaccination for entry and our visitor policy has been updated accordingly.
Please see our Back2BU website for updates and additional details about our COVID-19 protocols.
Many thanks for your support as we evolve our public health protocols,
Judy Platt, MD
Chief Health Officer and Executive Director