Dear Santa Clara University Graduate Students,
Yesterday, we sent out campus alerts notifying you that six Bay Area county public health officers have announced an indoor mask mandate effective August 3 to help mitigate the spread of the Delta variant of the Coronavirus. This indoor mask mandate follows California State guidance for the use of face coverings, issued July 28, 2021. The full text of the Santa Clara County public health order and Alameda County public health order are available online as of August 3, 2021.
The indoor mask mandate requires all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, to wear approved face coverings in public indoor spaces. At SCU, this includes all indoor work, meeting, collaboration, lab, classroom or instructional, exercise, recreation, break and rest rooms, as well as the connecting lobbies and corridors. Face coverings may be removed temporarily while actively eating or drinking. Students coming to campus for in-person orientation, classes, move-in, or other activities are expected to comply immediately with this new mandate in addition to the SCU COVID-19 vaccination requirements.
As an important reminder, anyone experiencing COVID-19 related symptoms must refrain from coming to campus until their symptoms have subsided. For residents in University-owned housing, this means remaining in your residence until your symptoms have subsided or you test negative for COVID-19. If you are experiencing such symptoms, get tested as soon as possible, and follow SCU’s self-isolation and quarantine guidance. For more information about on-campus testing, visit our COVID-19 testing protocol webpage. For additional resources and links to vaccination providers, please visit myturn.ca.gov.
We thank you for continuing to follow safety guidelines and for doing your part to support a healthy and safe return to our campuses this fall.
Sincerely,
Toby McChesney
Vice Provost for Graduate Programs