Princeton University requires that all employees and students wear face coverings indoors

Princeton University officials issued a memo to employees on Wednesday, Aug. 11, informing them that all faculty members, staff, and students, including people who have received the COVID-19 vaccine, must wear face coverings indoors in school buildings due to the ongoing pandemic and the spread of the Delta variant.

Officials said teams of doctors and scientists will evaluate the requirement to wear a face covering on a weekly basis. Exceptions to the requirement include working alone in a room or cubicle, or actively eating or drinking.

University officials will provide updated guidance on teaching and classrooms for the fall semester by Aug. 23. Classes will be in person for the fall semester, and officials are not anticipating moving to a hybrid instruction model at the start of the semester. They also don’t anticipate restricting the size of in-person classes.

Officials said in the memo to employees that social distancing is no longer required indoors or outdoors, and that the occupancy limits imposed for public health purposes are no longer needed.

All employees who work in university buildings are required to get a COVID-19 test on a regular basis. Employees who are vaccinated must get a test each week, while employees who are unvaccinated must be tested twice a week. The university, like many other schools across the country, is requiring that all employees be vaccinated for the fall semester, but some employees are exempted due to disabilities, medical conditions, or religious reasons.

Visitors are allowed to be hosted at the university if they are vaccinated, but school officials must formally approve each visitor and the visitor must provide a confirmation of full vaccination.

A staff member town hall was held Thursday morning to discuss the fall semester, and a faculty town hall will be held Friday morning.