Face coverings strongly recommended in classrooms
August 28, 2022 9:02 PM

Dear Faculty, Staff and Students,

While repopulating campus for the Fall 2022 semester, we have seen an increase in COVID-19 cases and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has given Champaign County a COVID-19 Community Level of “High,” indicating increased COVID-19 spread in our area. Out of concern for our entire community, the university is strongly recommending that everyone wears a high-quality face covering in classrooms during in-person class time beginning tomorrow, Monday, Aug. 29 through the next several weeks. Based on case data and trends, this time period is critical as we expect our on-campus cases to peak.

Details on Face Covering Guidance

• Units and individuals can and should share that face coverings are strongly recommended based on increased cases and CDC guidance. However, face coverings are not required.
• Course modality is not to be changed as a result of this new face covering guidance. For more information on course modality, please see this email from the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.
• If you are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms (fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea), please stay home. We are asking supervisors and instructors to show compassion to students and employees who are not feeling well.
• Some individuals are not medically able to wear a face covering. Please be understanding and empathetic.
• For more information on face coverings, please see the face covering page on the university's COVID-19 website.

We are sincerely grateful that due to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines and a university community that is more than 92 percent fully vaccinated, the positive cases this semester have generally been very mild or asymptomatic. We also expect to see new COVID-19 boosters be distributed as early as September, and we plan to make those available for our faculty, staff and students to provide increased protection.

I am continually amazed by our community’s commitment to maximizing our COVID-19 safety and our commitment to caring for one another. Thank you for wearing a face covering for the next several weeks.

Sincerely,

Robert J. Jones
Chancellor