Yale University is requiring all students, faculty and staff wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status.
The requirement states that all individuals must wear masks inside campus spaces except when alone, such as in a private office or seated in a partitioned cubicle, officials said.
University officials made the decision after the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued new guidance for fully vaccinated individuals. This guidance states that even if you're fully vaccinated, you should wear a mask indoors if you're in an area of substantial or high transmission. Seven out of the state's eight counties are all seeing significant COVID-19 transmission.
Middlesex County is the latest county in the state to reach the CDC's recommended threshold for universal indoor masking, according to the latest data from the agency's COVID Data Tracker. Fairfield, Tolland and Windham counties reached the level two days ago and Hartford, New Haven and New London counties reached it earlier in the week. Litchfield county is the only one that hasn't yet reached the CDC threshold.
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University officials urged that even though they are requiring the use of masks indoors for all people, the vaccine remains highly effective in preventing COVID-19 infection and preventing severe disease and death from variants, including the Delta variant currently circulating across the world.
Faculty, staff and students who are unvaccinated have to follow additional health and safety guidelines including wearing masks and regular asymptomatic COVID-19 testing.
The university announced earlier this year that all students and staff would have to get vaccinated against coronavirus. Anyone who wishes to submit vaccination information or obtain an exemption must do so by the end of the day Sunday.
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The mandate will go into effect on Monday, Aug. 2.
