Dear Brown Community Members,

I am pleased to report that the on-campus Brown community – students, faculty and staff who are engaged in in-person campus activity this summer – has achieved a 90% overall COVID-19 vaccination rate. This marks a tremendous milestone in the University’s response to the pandemic, and I want to thank all community members who received a vaccine and uploaded your vaccination card for your diligence in complying with this requirement. You are not only helping to protect community health, but also playing an essential role in enabling Brown to return to more traditional in-person operations.

Last month, we previewed in a June 23 communication to campus many of the updated protocols that we’d be able to progressively implement as vaccination rates increased. With employee and student vaccination rates at 90% and above, the following policies are now in place, effective immediately:

1. MASK WEARING PROTOCOLS

• Vaccinated Individuals: Fully vaccinated individuals (14 days past their final dose) are no longer required to wear a mask indoors or outdoors (including in-person classes), with the exception of ongoing mask requirements on University shuttles, while visiting University Health Services and visiting COVID-19 testing sites. Students, faculty and staff who are engaged in activities in health care settings (such as those at the Warren Alpert Medical School) should continue to follow guidance specific to those settings.

• Unvaccinated Individuals: Unvaccinated individuals must continue to wear masks indoors when with other people and outdoors if unable to maintain 3 feet of social distance. This includes students, faculty and others who arrive on campus in the coming weeks who have not yet been vaccinated; those individuals must continue to wear masks and practice social distancing until they are 14 days past their final dose.

• Vaccine Exempted Individuals: Members of the community who have received an exemption from vaccination from the University on medical or religious grounds have received individual instructions regarding health and safety measures they must follow, but in most cases they are required to wear masks and practice social distancing.

• Optional Mask Wearing: Any member of the community who is not otherwise required to wear a mask can, of course, voluntarily choose to wear a mask in any setting at any time 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.

2. COVID-19 ROUTINE TESTING PROGRAM

• Over the coming days, we will begin removing community members who have been fully vaccinated (14 days past their final dose) from the COVID-19 routine testing program. Testing program participants will receive a direct communication when they can stop testing, and should continue to test as assigned until they are told otherwise. Community members who have not yet received and documented their vaccination status or have received an approved exemption and have been approved to be on campus will continue to be tested once a week through the month of August through Brown’s testing program.

As announced in prior communications, now that we have reached 90% vaccination levels other activities, including in-person dining and increased access to the Nelson Fitness Center and the Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatics Center, will begin to increase and restrictions further lessened in the coming weeks. The previously announced elimination of restrictions regarding events and visitors will continue to be effective August 15.

If you have not yet been vaccinated, please do so; you can learn more about scheduling an appointment on the Vaccine Availability & Eligibility page on the Healthy Brown website. If you have been vaccinated, please upload your card immediately; detailed instructions are available on the Verify Your Vaccination page on the Healthy Brown website.

Sincerely,

Russell C. Carey
Executive Vice President, Planning and Policy