In a June 17 letter to the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) community, Steve Deck, DM, MBA, director, Environmental Health and Safety, wrote the following about face covering and physically distancing requirements for vaccinated and unvaccinated students, faculty, and staff:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that “people who are fully vaccinated are at low risk of symptomatic or severe infection, and a growing body of evidence suggests that people who are fully vaccinated are less likely to have asymptomatic infection or transmit the virus that causes COVID-19 to others.”
The University of Maryland, Baltimore’s (UMB) vaccination percentage rate continues to surpass both city and state averages. We are currently at about 80 percent of employees vaccinated. Furthermore, the governor and mayor have indicated that state and city mask mandates will be lifted effective July 1, 2021, but that businesses and employers may continue to implement mask policies.
Effective Thursday, July 1, UMB’s Policy Requiring Use of Face Coverings will no longer require fully vaccinated people to wear face coverings and/or practice physical distancing while on UMB’s campus. UMB’s campus is defined as all property owned, leased, or operated by UMB. However, students, faculty, and staff who are not fully vaccinated, even if they have received a medical or religious exemption from receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, must continue to wear a mask in accordance with the policy. Fully vaccinated is defined as two weeks after a final vaccine dose. Unvaccinated students, faculty, and staff must practice physical distancing whenever they remove their face covering such as to eat and drink.
In accordance with the CDC’s Requirement for Face Masks on Public Transportation Conveyances and at Transportation Hubs, students, faculty, and staff must wear a face covering when on buses or shuttles operated by UMB whether fully vaccinated or not.
If you have not yet received your COVID-19 vaccine, please see UMB’s COVID-19 Vaccine webpage for information on UMB’s COVID-19 vaccine requirements and where to get a COVID-19 vaccine. If you have received your COVID-19 vaccine, but have not yet provided proof of vaccination, you are encouraged to do so by visiting UMB’s COVID-19 Management Portal.
People may choose to continue to wear a face covering even when fully vaccinated. That is a personal choice, and one we all need to respect. Some individuals may not be able to be vaccinated for medical or religious reasons, and individuals should not make assumptions as to why a person is wearing a mask or why a person chooses not to be vaccinated.
If you have concerns that a person is unvaccinated and not wearing a face covering or practicing physical distancing on the UMB campus, you can report that to your supervisor or to the UMB Whistleblower Hotline, and we will investigate the matter.
Thank you for your adherence to UMB policy and dedication to keeping UMB safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.