COVID-19 masks encouraged but not required as of March 28
UND has tied pandemic mitigation strategies (including the requirement for masks) to local infection risk and hospital capacity. For the last two weeks, the Grand Forks County Department of Health’s County COVID-19 Dashboard has listed Grand Forks County as “green” due to our low, county-wide COVID-19 numbers.
This is good news, and because of our low numbers, UND will further relax its masking policy. As of Monday, March 28, masks are recommended but not required.
Because we still have high risk individuals within our campus community, there are a few exceptions to this change:
- Faculty members have the option to require masks within their individual classroom until the conclusion of the Spring 2022 semester.
- Masks are required at Student Health Services, COVID-19 testing sites, and programs with clinical requirements that place students or faculty members in contact with vulnerable patients. These areas may adopt additional mask requirements.
Testing changes:
- Testing will not be held at Wilkerson Commons during Easter weekend (April 15-18). All testing at Wilkerson Commons will end on Friday, April 29. Free home testing kits are available across campus. Testing continues at the Pollard Center and other locations.
Reporting:
- Students, faculty and staff are expected to continue to report through VEOCI if they test positive or are identified as a close contact through Thursday, May 5, the last day of spring classes. Reporting will not be required after then. Students and employees should work with faculty and supervisors if they test positive or are a close contact. Faculty will receive information on potential classroom exposures through Friday, May 6.
- There have also been changes in voucher testing incentives, quarantine and isolation locations, and contact tracing. For more detailed information, please see the UND COVID-19 website.
Future changes:
- Because UND’s mitigation and mask policy has and will continue to be informed by local pandemic conditions, there may be changes to the policy in the future.
As always, if you are working with or speaking with another person and they ask to you wear a mask, please do so as a matter of courtesy and respect.
I thank all those in our campus community for their efforts to battle through the pandemic.
With respect,
Andy Armacost, President
University of North Dakota
