IDPH Bridge to Phase 5 impacts
May 12, 2021 12:01 PM

Dear faculty and staff,

As you know, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker recently announced that the State of Illinois will move from Phase 4 to a Bridge to Phase 5 (Bridge Phase) on Friday, May 14. The biggest implication of this new guidance for the university community is that this expands capacity for events and spaces. We will follow the IDPH guidance in the “Bridge” column of this document.

Affected university spaces/events include:

• Dining
• Fitness facilities
• Office spaces
• Retail spaces
• Festivals/outdoor spectator events
• Conferences
• Museums
• Social events
• Indoor spectator events
• Outdoor spectator events

Please keep in mind that this will not change space or capacity guidelines already in place for Summer 2021 in-person classes.

For questions or concerns on how to interpret or implement these new expansions of capacity limits, please email covid-plan-review@illinois.edu.

Moving into the Bridge Phase is good news for our entire community, but we must continue to be as diligent as ever in safety precautions, including getting vaccinated if you are able, participating in regular COVID-19 testing, wearing face coverings, practicing social distancing, washing your hands frequently and avoiding large gatherings.

Mandatory on-campus testing requirements are still in place for people living in University Housing facilities or participating in any on-campus activities.

Even as we look forward to moving into Phase 5, which the governor said could happen as early as June 11, maximizing the health, safety and wellness of our entire community will continue to be a top priority. For the Fall 2021 semester, even if we are in Phase 5, we anticipate that the university will continue to require regular COVID-19 testing (except for those with a verified vaccination record). The university will also continue to require face coverings, social distancing, etc. aligned with IDPH guidelines for Phase 5.

We know frequent changes can be disruptive to you, so we intend to keep the current classroom assignments, capacity limits and course modality in place for all in-person classes during the Fall 2021 semester. Changes to in-person classes may be considered if COVID-19 conditions worsen and require more restrictive measures.

Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding as we work through this next phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. I am grateful for your spirit, your resilience and your commitment to taking care of our community.

Sincerely,

Robert J. Jones
Chancellor