Effective tomorrow at 8 a.m., on-campus students are not permitted to leave campus for any reason, including to conduct personal or essential business, wrote Mike Ranen, COVID-19 resource coordinator, in an email to all students and employees sent today at noon.

“We recognize the burden this may place on students for these next two weeks, but we believe these restrictions are prudent and necessary to protect the health and safety of everyone on campus and our neighbors in Brunswick,” Ranen wrote.

“While cases at the College have remained small, with two weeks to go before most students leave campus, we don’t want to risk an outbreak that could affect the ability of students to travel,” Ranen added.

In an email to the Orient, Ranen said that students who needed an exception to leave campus for essential business such as refilling a prescription should reach out to their deans.

Ranen’s announcement follows the Portland Press Herald report of 184 new COVID-19 cases in Maine—a record high during the pandemic.

Despite this update, the College is still in “yellow” status, and College officials will continue to monitor cases daily to decide about any changes to campus status level.

However, the College will amend the current “yellow” status to require face coverings at all times, both indoors and outdoors and regardless of whether individuals are more than six feet apart. The change is effective immediately and complies with an executive order issued by Maine Governor Janet Mills.

Students and employees will not be expected to wear a mask when alone in their private rooms or in private offices. Students may also remove masks when eating outdoors, as long as they are at least six feet apart from others.

The College currently has one active positive case—a faculty member who is asymptomatic and is isolating at home but who came into close contact on Tuesday with another employee.

Students understanding, but frustrated, with campus rules change