Dear Lawrentians,
Thank you for your commitment to Honor the Pledge. Your ongoing efforts have helped us sustain a COVID positivity rate of less than 0.5% for the majority of Spring Term. Thanks also to those able to be fully vaccinated. As of this week, nearly 75% of our campus employees and more than 50% of our students learning on campus are fully vaccinated. These are efforts of which we should be so proud.
Based on scientific evidence and guidelines from the CDC and because of our community’s diligence, the Lawrence Pandemic Planning Team (LPPT) has determined that members of our community are able to be outdoors and unmasked, regardless of one’s vaccination status, in most situations. Specifically:
- Regardless of vaccination status, if you are outdoors and at least 6 feet from others, you do not need to wear your mask.
- For all outdoor physically distant activities, masks are no longer required unless specified by the event organizer, e.g. Commencement. Masks are still recommended for crowded outdoor spaces and large events when physical distancing is difficult.
- If you meet the conditions to be unmasked outdoors, you maintain the personal choice to wear masks in these settings.
Please remember that masks will continue to be required in all indoor public areas. Masks may be removed in these areas if you are eating.
The opportunity to return to a more familiar and personal experience as we gather outdoors is a positive step as this challenging year comes to a close. As health and safety guidelines are evolving nearly every day, we will continue to explore strategies that both allow for us to build community, while prioritizing the health and safety of our community in our decisions.
Please stay tuned to additional details on this shift and any other COVID-19 related news here and in the LU Insider. Also, please contact coronainfo@lawrence.edu with any questions or comments. Thank you, again, for your commitment to your fellow Lawrentians.
Be well and stay well,
The Lawrence Pandemic Planning Team
