COVID-19 VACCINATION AND BOOSTER

• Employees and students are required to be “up to date” with COVID-19 vaccines. Up to date with COVID-19 Vaccine(s) is defined as a person who has received all recommended COVID-19 vaccines, including any booster dose(s) when eligible. For example, an individual is up to date when they have received a full course of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or World Health Organization (WHO) authorized COVID-19 vaccine, and any booster dose(s) when eligible. Details regarding this policy and how to comply with the requirements can be found on the Vaccinations page.

COVID-19 TESTING

• Testing is optional for all employees, undergraduate, graduate and medical students who are on campus, regardless of vaccination status. Rapid antigen tests are widely available from a variety of sources, and insurance companies are now reimbursing the costs of tests. Community members should consider taking a rapid antigen test when experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.

MASK WEARING

• Wearing masks is strongly recommended for all Brown community members when indoors with large numbers of people, regardless of vaccination status, including on the Brown University shuttle. Masking can help limit the rate of spread of COVID-19 and common respiratory viruses, particularly during periods of high transmission.
  
  Masking continues to be required for all community members in the following locations and circumstances: 
  • Health care facilities, including the Health & Wellness Center;
  • Classes where the instructor requires students to wear masks; and
  • Meetings where the host requires attendees to wear masks (for example, a faculty or staff member meeting with a student in their office may require the student to wear a mask during the meeting).
• While masking is optional, those with approved exemptions from vaccination can help limit their risk of transmission by continuing to adhere to masking guidance indoors, on shuttles, etc.
• Acceptable masks on the Brown University campus include KN95, KF94, N95 or disposable/surgical masks. Cloth masks generally do not provide adequate protection and are only acceptable if used over a disposable mask to improve the fit.
• Carry an approved mask at all times and respect personal choices: Brown community members should carry a well-fitting KN95, KF94, N95 or disposable/surgical mask at all times in case a situation arises where a mask is required (such as a host’s preference at a meeting or other situation listed above). We also encourage all students, staff and faculty to wear a mask whenever you choose to do so and for any reason (including personal and community protection against seasonal flu and colds). This personal choice should be respected. As with vaccination status, no one should ask another individual about their personal choice to wear a mask.