Oberlin's Review of the CDC's Updated Mask Recommendation

As more of us become fully vaccinated, defined as being at least two weeks past your second shot of Moderna or Pfizer vaccine or first shot of Johnson & Johnson vaccine, there is a natural inclination to relax adherence to ObieSafe guidelines. Some people have written suggesting a formal relaxation of our protocols.

In addition, the Centers for Disease Control recently updated rules for fully vaccinated people, indicating that they can participate in many outdoor activities without a mask and still present low risk to themselves and others.

One of our public health challenges on campus is that we do not know who has been fully vaccinated and who has not. That is why it is so important that everyone upload their vaccination cards to Human Resources for faculty and staff and to Student Health Services for students.

Once at least 80 percent of our campus population provides this proof that they are fully vaccinated, we can safely re-evaluate our ObieSafe policies, including the policy of wearing a mask outdoors.

Until we exceed our vaccination goal, the outdoor mask policy and other ObieSafe policies remain in effect.

Please adhere to the ObieSafe Community Agreement during your daily activities.