New COVID-19 Measures Announced for January

University of Maryland President Darryll J. Pines and Senior Vice President and Provost Jennifer King Rice sent the following email to the campus community today:

As COVID-19 cases increase in our region and around the country, the University of Maryland continues to actively monitor all available data and trends both on our campus and in our surrounding community.

Throughout this pandemic, our goal has been unwavering: to prioritize the health and well-being of every member of our campus community. With that in mind, we are enacting the following measures for the winter term, effective January 3-21, 2022:

• Most courses offered during the winter term are being delivered online. For those classes that will be delivered in-person, all instructors and students will be required to submit a negative COVID-19 test prior to their first in-person class. Further guidance will be provided in a separate email.
  
• Students attending in-person classes must wear KN95 masks in class. KN95 masks provide significantly enhanced protection against the spread of this virus.

These measures are subject to change, depending on evolving COVID-19 conditions. Decisions about potential additional measures in advance of the spring semester will be made in early January.

Normal campus operations will continue throughout January and staff are expected to maintain regular work schedules. Supervisors are encouraged to work with eligible staff on flexible work arrangements, including telework, as appropriate. This is an effort to keep campus density low in the early weeks of the new year.

And as a reminder, we strongly encourage every member of our campus to receive the COVID-19 booster. It remains an important tool in our ongoing effort to reduce the spread of the virus and to help prevent serious illness and hospitalizations.

As this semester comes to a close, I wish you a happy and healthy holiday break.

Sincerely,