Fully vaccinated individuals will no longer be required to wear masks inside most Duke facilities March 7, according to a Friday morning email from Vice President for Administration Kyle Cavanaugh and Provost Sally Kornbluth.
The news comes after the city of Durham announced its indoor mask requirement would be suspended March 7. Masks will continue to be required for all individuals in in-person classes, Duke transit, and clinical and patient areas. They may also be required in “other locations based on specific circumstances,” so students, employees and visitors are encouraged to have a mask on hand at all times.
Individuals who are unvaccinated or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms are still required to wear masks.
“This transition recognizes that COVID-19 will be with us in some form, but the spread and severity can now be managed through vaccinations and medical treatment. As a result of our high vaccination rates, frequent testing and care and concern for each other, we have not seen any cases of serious illness among students, and very few among employees since the emergence of the Omicron variant,” Cavanaugh and Kornbluth wrote.
The email encouraged community members to be respectful of those that prefer to continue wearing masks, “particularly for those who have underlying high-risk medical conditions or live with those who do.”
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Nadia Bey, Trinity '23, was managing editor for The Chronicle's 117th volume and digital strategy director for Volume 118.