OU Mask Mandate for On Campus Indoors For Communities on “High Level”

Article Presented By Chillicothe VAMC

(Athens) – Face covering requirements on OHIO campuses are based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 Community Levels.

• High: Masks are required in all indoor public spaces on OHIO campuses.
• Medium: Masks are recommended during scheduled class and class-related activities in classrooms, laboratories, studios, clinical settings, other learning spaces, and the Child Development Center.
• Low: Masks are optional on campus.

At low and medium COVID-19 community levels, masks may still be required in some settings:

• Clinical healthcare facilities including Campus Care
• COVID-19 testing facilities
• Where masks are not required, students, faculty, and staff who test positive or are exposed to COVID-19 must follow masking guidelines outlined in the OHIO COVID-19 Protocol.

Face covering exceptions on campuses where masks are required based on COVID-19 community level:

• Children under 2 years old.
• Any person while actively eating or drinking.
• In settings where it is not practicable or feasible to wear a face covering such as when receiving dental treatments or while swimming. 
• Where working with equipment or in a process where wearing face coverings is impractical or dangerous, as determined by instructors or supervisors. 
• Individuals who, due to extraordinary circumstances, claim and receive a written exemption from the University’s face covering requirement through the appropriate university process. 
• Employees, students, and visitors with a disability who are unable to wear a face covering and do not receive an approved exemption may request reasonable accommodations through the Office for University Accessibility.
  
  As of July 29, 2022, here are the latest COVID Levels for Each Ohio University Campus:
  Athens Campus (Athens County) High
  Chillicothe Campus (Ross County) High
  Cleveland Campus (Cuyahoga County) High
  Dublin Campus (Franklin County) High
  Eastern Campus (Belmont County) Medium
  Lancaster Campus (Fairfield County) Medium
  Southern Campus (Lawrence County) High
  Zanesville Campus (Muskingum County) High