WILMINGTON — In light of the more cautionary rhetoric on mask-wearing now emerging from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNCW will begin requiring face coverings in most indoor settings, according to the university.
“Based on CDC guidance and the rising number of COVID-19 cases in North Carolina and elsewhere, UNCW temporarily will require face coverings in indoor settings except when an individual is in their office or assigned residence hall room,” according to a news release attributed to Chancellor Jose Sartarelli.
The masking requirements will begin Aug. 2 and “will be reviewed on or before September 17, 2021, depending on circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 virus and its variants.”
The move-in period for the Fall 2021 semester will take place on Aug. 13-14; the university will require face coverings “during most Move-In activities with the exception of outdoor activities that are not in close proximity to others.”
“Students, faculty and staff also are expected to wear face coverings during Convocation on Aug. 16,” according to the university.
Like other public universities across North Carolina, UNCW is encouraging, but not requiring, students to get vaccinated before returning to campus in August.
Unvaccinated students living on campus will have to participate in weekly “surveillance testing” events. More information about the schedule and location of these testing events will be shared before the start of the semester, according to the university.
Questions about face covering requirements, vaccinations and general Covid-19 concerns can be directed to: email@example.com
Information on the university’s Covid-19 response can be found at its “Best for the Nest” webpage.
Currently the university releases weekly updates on the prevalence of Covid-19 within its community. Daily releases will begin again this fall. (In the past 14 days, there have only been two confirmed cases among faculty and staff, and four confirmed cases among off-campus students, according to the Covid-19 Data Dashboard.
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