Mask Mandate

August 17, 2021

Good Afternoon,

The COVID Command team is excited as we plan to welcome back to campus those faculty and staff who have been away for part or all of the summer and those students who enjoyed summer break. The COVID Command team continued to meet weekly throughout the summer as our number one goal is to provide a safe campus environment. We are pleased to report that a high percentage of students and employees have been fully vaccinated.

With the number of regional COVID-19 cases increasing and a greater risk of transmission due to the more infectious delta variant, Bay Bath University will now require anyone in a campus building or on a campus shuttle to wear a face covering, regardless of vaccination status.

This new policy takes effect tomorrow and applies to all university facilities including buildings on the Longmeadow, East Longmeadow and Concord campuses. The decision to require face coverings aligns with the recommendation of the COVID Command team, which continues to closely monitor the changing conditions of the pandemic.

Today’s announcement is made following the Town of Longmeadow Health Department’s decision to require masks in all town buildings, schools, stores, restaurants, bars, fitness centers, event venues and places of worship. Our decision was also made in consultation with medical professionals at Baystate Medical Center and is in accordance with CDC guidelines.

This policy requires all students, faculty, staff, and visitors to wear a face covering that covers the mouth and nose when indoors.

As part of the current mandate:

• In-person meetings or group activities in conference rooms or other indoor spaces should be conducted with all participants being masked—regardless of vaccination status.
• In the classroom, instructors and students must remain masked.
• When eating in Blake Dining Commons, the Carpe Diem Cafe’, kitchenettes, or other public or shared spaces on campus, everyone should remain masked and only remove their face mask to eat, and then re-mask when done.
• In residence halls, resident students may be unmasked in their room with their roommate(s) or on their assigned floor. At all other times, students should be masked.
• Face coverings are not required outdoors, except for those who have an approved vaccination exemption.
• Face masks are required for all persons using the University shuttle.
• Face masks will not be required when:
  • Working alone in a private office
  • Working alone in a shared space
  • Working in a cubicle with a barrier between people and when not providing services to anyone

Disposable face masks will be available at centralized locations throughout the campus. Students returning to the University for the fall semester are encouraged to bring with them reusable face masks.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Sincerely,
John Stankiewicz
Director of Public Safety