Ohio State Ends Mask Mandate In Most Indoor Spaces On Campus
Ohio State announced on Tuesday afternoon that masks will be optional in most indoor spaces on campus, including residence halls, dining facilities, classrooms, offices and more, beginning Friday at 6 p.m., coinciding with the start of spring break.
The updated policy is effective immediately at public events, such as those that take place at the Schottenstein Center or Covelli Center.
The university will continue to require masks in clinical health settings, such as at the Wexner Medical Center, COVID-19 testing locations, child care centers and on public transportation, however.
“Throughout the pandemic, the university has followed guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Ohio Department of Health as well as federal, state and local policy,” the university said in a statement. “Ohio State’s updated masking policy reflects improving COVID-19 case counts after the Omicron surge, the high vaccination rate of the university community and the lifting of mask requirements in many jurisdictions, including the city of Columbus this week.”
Ohio State reported that more than 93 percent of university community members are vaccinated, while 25 percent have received their booster shot, as well as that the seven-day average positive rate has dropped from 8.5 percent on Jan. 19 to 0.6 percent on March 6.
“The university will continue to adjust COVID-19 measures as appropriate based on science as well as guidance from national, state and local agencies,” the statement said. “For now, the university will maintain its COVID-19 surveillance testing program, which includes weekly testing of students in university housing, in social fraternities and sororities, and with approved exemptions to the university’s vaccination requirement. Employees with approved exemptions are also required to test weekly.”
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