Go to content, skip over navigation

Sections

More Pages

Go to content, skip over visible header bar
Home News Features Arts & Entertainment Sports OpinionAbout Contact Advertise

Note about Unsupported Devices:

You seem to be browsing on a screen size, browser, or device that this website cannot support. Some things might look and act a little weird.

Despite relaxation of state mask mandate, the College requires that masks stay on outdoors

April 29, 2021

On Thursday, COVID-19 Resource Coordinator Mike Ranen addressed Governor Janet Mills’ decision to loosen the state’s mask mandate in an email to the College community. Despite new state guidelines that people do not need to wear masks outdoors when they are practicing social distancing, Ranen asked in his email that members of the community continue wearing masks on campus.

According to Ranen, the only exception to this rule will occur during classes that take place in the outdoor tents set up across campus. As these tents are designed to provide adequate physical distancing, masking will not be required.

After the CDC released new guidelines on Tuesday regarding masking for fully vaccinated people, questions arose around campus about what this might mean for the College’s policies. Among other suggestions, the guidelines outline that fully vaccinated people may forgo masking outdoors when a social distance can be maintained or when people are with other fully vaccinated individuals.

The College’s vaccination plan for students is well underway, with the first round of students having received their second doses on Wednesday and Thursday. However, Ranen emphasized that much of the community is far from being fully vaccinated and that masking outdoors will still be required.

“The end of the academic year is near, yet the possibility of a COVID-19 outbreak is real,” Ranen wrote.

The College will continue to monitor COVID-19 recommendations and the situation on campus, in Maine and throughout the country, especially regarding rules for the summer. But for now, masks will stay on almost all of the time on campus.

Comments

Before submitting a comment, please review our comment policy. Some key points from the policy:

  • No hate speech, profanity, disrespectful or threatening comments.
  • No personal attacks on reporters.
  • Comments must be under 200 words.
  • You are strongly encouraged to use a real name or identifier ("Class of '92").
  • Any comments made with an email address that does not belong to you will get removed.

Leave a Reply

Any comments that do not follow the policy will not be published.

0/200 words