There will be no changes from the university’s summer COVID-19 guidelines for the fall semester as of now, university spokesperson Chris Booker said in an email. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Lantern File Photo
There will be no changes from the university’s summer COVID-19 guidelines for the fall semester as of now, Ohio State spokesperson Chris Booker said in an email Tuesday.
The COVID-19 vaccination requirement for students, staff and faculty will continue into the fall, and masking will be optional on all academic campuses — including in classrooms, Booker said. Ohio State keeps its mask-optional policy as Columbus Public Health issued an indoor mask advisory based on high levels of transmission and other public universities debate stricter COVID-19 protocols.
“The safety and well-being of Ohio State’s students, faculty and staff is the university’s top priority,” Booker said. “As we have throughout the pandemic, we continue to consult regularly with public health professionals, and will adjust our protocols as needed going forward.”
Ohio State has a vaccination rate of 93.1 percent complete and partial vaccination rate as of May 3, according to the university’s COVID-19 dashboard.
Columbus Public Health issued its mask advisory Aug. 5 after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rated Franklin County as a high-risk community based on its positive cases and number of available hospital beds. The press release stated the Franklin County positivity rate doubled in the past month, currently at 2.8 percent. Only about half of residents are vaccinated, according to the release.
Franklin County Public Health also issued a masking advisory in July based on this CDC data.
Masking is not required in Columbus, but recommended, according to a July 22 tweet by Columbus Health.
Other universities throughout Ohio have changed their COVID-19 protocols as the school year approaches. Kent State and Ohio University are both reinstating their indoor mask policies based on the rising COVID-19 levels in their county.
The University of Cincinnati requires masks in all College of Medicine buildings, and Bowling Green State University currently does not require masks on its campus.
According to the Safe and Healthy Buckeyes website, the university will still not require asymptomatic testing, but members of the Ohio State community who have been exposed or tested positive may have to retest. Testing at the Biomedical Research Tower will continue, and students can get at-home test kits from the Ohio Union and Younkin Success Center.
Masking is required in the university’s clinical testing centers, like Wexner Medical Center, and childcare centers.
Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 must follow CDC guidelines, including wearing a mask for at least 10 days, according to the website.
