Dear UMS Community,
I hope you have been able to enjoy the spectacular Maine summer. This one finds us in a far better position with regard to COVID-19. Although the pandemic is still with us, cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are continuing to decline. Vaccination rates, and the populations eligible for vaccination, continue to increase. We are engaging in a sense of normalcy we have been missing and participating in activities we have avoided; traveling, enjoying our friends, spending time at public events in public spaces, and seeing one another’s smiling faces. The progress is real, but a sense of caution is still warranted.
As strong as our desire is to put the pandemic behind us, COVID-19 persists and evolves as we saw with the BA.5 variant. We continue to monitor the pandemic, public health best practices, and state and federal guidelines. In light of the current science, we have adjusted some of our guidance for the fall semester.
- We have shifted our vaccination recommendations and are now requiring students to be fully vaccinated, having completed their primary one- or two-dose vaccination series.
- We still strongly recommend that everyone eligible get their COVID-19 booster doses to protect from severe illness.
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We strongly encourage everyone to upload all COVID-19 vaccination doses, including boosters, to the UMS COVID-19 Portal (External Site) in the event that the University of Maine System (UMS) shifts to requiring boosters in response to the evolving pandemic.
- We will be providing access to rapid-antigen tests on each campus for symptomatic individuals.
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In general, face coverings are optional and welcomed across the UMS, indoors and outdoors, for all persons regardless of vaccination status. There are many important exceptions, including in classrooms, where face coverings continue to be required unless waived by the instructor. Additional information regarding exceptions is posted on the Together For Maine website.
Today, we are expecting a robust and engaging fall semester and a return to many traditional campus activities. I will, however, take this opportunity to caution everyone that as the virus and science are continually evolving, we remain committed to adjusting our protocols in response to reduce the risk of infection and help prevent serious illness. Presidents will be communicating more university-specific details with you directly to ensure a safe and successful fall semester.
Thank you.
