In an email to the College sent on Wednesday, April 26, the College’s Covid-19 Planning Group announced that Bowdoin will scale back on-campus Covid protocols following the federal government’s announcement that the country’s three-year long public health emergency will cease on May 11.

Beginning May 12, the College will no longer require its students to receive Covid vaccinations or booster vaccines.

In its email to the College, the Planning Group wrote that the decision was also made as a reflection on the Bowdoin community’s considerate nature.

“[This decision] is also a testament to how well the Bowdoin community has cared for one another over the past three plus years, and an acknowledgement that while [Covid] will be with us for the foreseeable future, we have procedures in place, and we know what we must do to care for ourselves and others.”

While vaccines will no longer be required, the College maintains that they are still both encouraged and recommended.

“Please keep in mind that [Covid] vaccines remain safe, effective and the best way to protect yourself and loved ones from severe disease. We urge everyone to continue to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations and stay up to date with [Covid] vaccines, including boosters,” the group wrote.

Beyond lifting vaccination mandates, the Planning Group announced that the College plans to close the antigen testing station in Coles Tower and discontinue unique policies around Covid-related absences. In place of the Coles Tower testing window, the Health Center will provide tests for symptomatic students, and the antigen test vending machine will remain open for the rest of the semester.

Additionally, the email announced that the Bowdoin College website’s Covid information page will be terminated. Its information will now be available on the Health Services home page.

Closing out the email was a note on the community’s efforts to mitigate the spread of Covid on campus throughout the pandemic.

“We remain grateful for all that you have done this academic year to take protective measures and keep yourselves and others safe, and we look forward to a healthy finish to the semester,” the group wrote.