Bradley announced several changes to its COVID-19 policy on Thursday that follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Beginning Aug. 9, the university will require everyone to wear a mask in all indoor public spaces regardless of vaccination status. This requirement applies to all university activities including Welcome Week activities and classrooms. Masks are not needed when students are in their rooms or apartments and when faculty are alone in their private offices.
Vaccinated individuals are not required to wear a mask in outdoor settings, but masks are strongly encouraged outdoors for those that are unvaccinated.
“We’ll continue to assess our mask policy throughout the semester,” the Aug. 5 email said. “We welcome and will support anyone who chooses to wear a mask on-campus, in any environment.”
The university will offer vaccinations on-campus Aug. 23-Sept. 2, and it is unknown which vaccine it will receive at this time.
Vaccinated students and employees are asked to submit their vaccination status by Tuesday, Aug. 24. This can be done by taking a picture of their vaccination card, submitting a screenshot of the electronic record or physically showing their vaccine information. Students can send it to covid19symptoms@bradley.edu or visit Bradley Health Services. Employees can email covidvaccines@bradley.edu or see Human Resources in Sisson Hall.
Unvaccinated students and employees are eligible for open COVID-19 testing beginning Aug. 16 through Sept. 3.
“The testing strategy may be revised in early September based on the number of individuals on-campus who are vaccinated and the prevalence rate of the virus,” the email said.
Symptomatic students, regardless of vaccination status, should contact Health Services immediately to make an appointment. Those that are fully vaccinated should also be tested if they are a close contact.
A daily symptom tracker will not be sent this year, but it is asked that those experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms don’t engage with the campus.
Face-to-face meetings, activities and events are encouraged as long as campus guidelines are followed.
Bradley will update the COVID-19 dashboard on Friday mornings starting on Aug. 27.
“We continue to regularly review campus and local COVID-19 data, as well as guidance from governing agencies,” the email said. “While our goal is to provide consistency, all of our decisions are subject to change in this ever-evolving environment.”
