Dear Brown Community Members,

I am writing with an update regarding COVID-19 planning for Summer 2022. While we continue to actively monitor and support members of the community reporting positive test results, as we have reported regularly, we are not seeing indications of widespread transmission, clusters or outbreak, or instances of severe illness or hospitalization. As the spring semester comes to a close, we are ready to transition our operations with regard to managing COVID-19 on campus, in a similar manner to how other infectious diseases are managed. As has been the case throughout the pandemic, if public health conditions change we will take appropriate steps at that time.

To ensure members of the Brown community have plenty of notice about changes to operations that will take place over the next several weeks, we provide the following information regarding the end of the semester and into the summer:

• As previously announced, the requirement that all employees and students remain up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations will remain in place for the entire 2022-2023 academic year. If you have already received an approved medical or religious exemption from the COVID-19 vaccine from University Health Services or University Human Resources, you will continue to be exempt from this requirement. If you have not previously received an exemption and wish to request one, information regarding how to do so is available on the COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions page of the Healthy Brown website.

• Rapid antigen tests will continue to be made available (2 tests per week) at the Alumnae Hall and South Street Landing distribution sites through Friday, June 17.

• After Friday, June 17 the general distribution of tests to employees and students will end. Rapid antigen tests are now widely available from a variety of sources, and insurance companies are now reimbursing the costs of tests. Information about test availability is included in the weekly campus safety updates and on the University Human Resources website.

• Testing requirements will continue for community members with vaccination exemptions. Employees and students with approved vaccination exemptions will continue to be required to test twice per week and will receive direct communication from University Health Services (students) and University Human Resources (employees) regarding how to continue to access tests for this purpose.

• We will continue to require that individuals who test positive report results to University Health Services (students) and University Human Resources (employees). Information regarding how to report can be found on the Testing and Isolation page of the healthy.brown.edu website.

• The centralized visitor and guest vaccination attestation process will end after Friday, June 17. The requirement in the COVID-19 Campus Safety Policy that visitors who are engaged in any sustained and consistent in-person contact with other Brown employees, students or visitors are required to be up to date with COVID-19 vaccines will remain in place through next academic year; however, the centralized visitor and guest vaccination attestation process we have used this past year for short-term visitors will end after Friday, June 17. We have proactively arranged with departments and programs with large numbers of short-term visitors and guests to use the approved attestation form language in their standard registration and enrollment processes as needed next year. Departments that may be interested in following a similar process for multi-day conferences, large events, or other similar programs or activities can contact visitors@brown.edu to inquire about doing so.

• University Human Resources will end the COVID-19 paid special leave policy for staff on June 30, 2022. As with other illnesses, employees will be able to use their own personal time off or apply for medical leave after 5 days as needed.

• The weekly campus safety updates will end on Friday, May 20 (the last day of final examinations for the Spring 2022 semester). The University will distribute health and safety information as needed going forward.

As this academic year comes to a close, I would like to express gratitude and appreciation to members of the Brown community for their commitment to their individual and collective health throughout the course of the pandemic. Students, faculty and staff have been exemplary in heeding public health guidance, paying attention to the data and the science, and taking care of each other.

In addition, on behalf of all Brown community members, I would especially like to thank the departments and staff who have gone above and beyond in responding to and managing the challenges of COVID-19 over the past two years: University Health Services; University Human Resources; Dining Services; Facilities Management; Residential Life; Environmental Health & Safety; Public Safety; Campus Life; the academic deans and administrators; University Communications; the Research Office; the Office of Information Technology and the Digital Learning and Design team; faculty, staff and students who have sustained research operations throughout the pandemic, and many, many more. Thank you, and please enjoy a healthy, safe and restorative summer.

Sincerely,

Russell C. Carey
Executive Vice President, Planning and Policy