COVID Update: Phased Easing of COVID Restrictions

March 14, 2022

Optional Masking

  • As of Monday, March 14, masking will be optional at Harvard Chan School and in all indoor spaces on all of Harvard’s campuses. Although Boston’s mask-optional guidance is already in effect (as of March 5), we feel the additional days will help us prepare our campus and staff for this transition while we also ensure that case counts in and around our community stay low. However, the University has given the Schools located in Boston the flexibility to implement the relaxation of the mask mandate earlier, and HMS and HSDM have decided to go mask-optional as of Monday, March 7.
    • Masks will still be required in healthcare facilities, public transit, University buses and shuttles, and for individuals completing isolation or quarantine.
    • Masks will also still be required at any gatherings indoors that exceed 250 persons.
  • Anyone who would prefer to continue wearing a mask should feel free to do so. We expect that all Chan School community members will be respectful of an individual’s decision to wear (or not wear) a mask.
  • Individual instructors may choose to continue to require masking in their classes.
  • Eating and drinking will be allowed on campus, including classrooms, but individual instructors may choose to limit these activities at their discretion.

Testing

  • The University is not changing its testing requirements at this time.
  • If you have symptoms, please stay home, wear a mask, and get a COVID-19 test.
  • If you test positive, follow public health guidance to avoid transmitting the virus and wear a high-quality mask for a full 10 days. Also, if you test positive using an antigen or other external test, please report the positive result to HUHS using Crimson Clear.

Vaccination

As before, all Harvard community members, except those with an approved exemption, are required to be up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccination and boosters

Please refer to the University message for more details on the updated guidance.