Salve Regina University today announced that beginning at 8 am today masks will be optional inside their buildings.
Here’s the full email announcement from Salve Regina University;
“Dear Salve Regina community,
Throughout the course of this pandemic, our campus policies and operations have been carefully aligned with the latest CDC guidelines and recommendations. Late last week, the CDC released a new tool called “Community Levels,” which helps communities determine which prevention steps to take based on the latest data.
Levels can be low, medium or high and are determined by hospital beds being used, hospital admissions and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area. Given that Newport County’s community level is currently “medium” we are pleased to announce the following changes to our COVID-19 policies.
Effective at 8 a.m. Thursday, March 3, masks will be optional inside Salve Regina buildings, with a few exceptions.
- Faculty have the authority to require continued masking in their own classrooms, laboratories and related academic spaces, and will notify their students if they choose this option.
- Masks will continue to be required in medical and clinical settings such as Health Services, the asymptomatic testing site, Counseling Services and athletic training rooms.
- You should continue to carry a mask at all times, even if you aren’t planning to use it.
Please be respectful of those in our community who choose to continue wearing masks, and of those who would prefer that you continue to wear a mask in their office. Also keep in mind that we will continue to monitor cases and other data within our campus community, Newport County and statewide, and will update our policies as necessary. The health and safety of our students and employees remains our utmost priority.
We are also updating our policies for dining on campus. All dining locations will resume their regular capacity, although to-go options will remain in place for those who wish to utilize them.
Booster Mandate
Salve Regina continues to expect 100% compliance with the booster mandate, meaning you must be boosted or have an exemption in place.
- Students should submit their booster record through the student health portal. In the “My Forms” menu, complete the “COVID booster form.” Exemption forms are available on the Health Services website.
- Faculty and staff should submit their booster record via the employee submission form. Exemption forms are available in the Campus portal.
If you are not boosted and are identified as a close contact, you will be required to quarantine for 5 days and get tested on day 4. You may also be subject to surveillance testing. If you are not vaccinated, you will remain in the University’s surveillance testing program.
With our masks removed, it’s more imperative than ever that we all continue to self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19. If you aren’t feeling well, get tested as soon as possible and stay home until your results are received.
Thank you for your continued patience and understanding as we continue to adapt within an ever-changing landscape. As always, you may submit general comments, questions or concerns to coronavirus@salve.edu.”