Many members of the community are excited to return to a more normal University experience with the announcement that masks will no longer be required except in classrooms, transit services and U.Va. Health facilities. Students and faculty members expressed excitement about using gyms and interacting in person without a mask, while also noting the importance of respecting others’ preferences.
University President Jim Ryan announced the partial lifting of the mask requirement in an email sent Feb. 22, citing slowed transmission of COVID-19 and reduced hospitalization, isolation and reported case numbers.
“Our goal has always been to impose as few restrictions on this community as needed to protect public health, and that goal will guide our decision making going forward,” the email read.
As of March 16, the University’s online COVID-19 tracker reports 19 active community cases — 9 of which are students — one percent of isolation beds occupied, and 41 patients currently hospitalized for COVID-19. The City of Charlottesville has additionally seen a 82 percent decrease in average cases reported since the last 14 days, with 50 percent of residents fully vaccinated.
Many members of the community have affirmed they feel safe with the new changes, including Associate Professor of Biology Dave Kittlesen, who said that he appreciates the objective data used to support the latest decision.
“I thought that was well communicated by [Ryan] and the Provost in their announcement,” Kittlesen said. “They highlighted about half a dozen parameters that are measurable data that informs that decision.”
Kittlesen does not foresee any large spike in cases as a result of the lightened protocol, and said that he remains hopeful that conditions will continue to improve so that students and faculty can safely remove masks within the classroom as well.
This decision comes two years after masking began in University classrooms in the fall of 2020 after a period of complete online learning during the spring before. Masks were required at all times indoors — except when in private spaces such as dorm rooms or apartments — and outdoors when six feet of social distance could not be maintained. Administration lifted the mask mandate on May 14 of that same year following CDC guidance stating that fully vaccinated people did not need to wear masks.
On Aug. 6, however, before the beginning of the fall 2021 semester, Executive Vice Presidents Liz Magill and J.J. Davis announced in an email to students that the school year would begin with a mask requirement for both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals in shared indoor spaces, but not outdoors.
The message framed the fall masking policy as a temporary reaction to the Delta COVID-19 variant, with plans to continue reevaluating throughout the semester.
Although masks will be optional in many University-owned buildings, they will still be required within classrooms — a frustration for Kittlesen, who reported difficulties with face coverings in the classroom.
“It's harder to get to know my students,” Kittlessen said. “It's harder to learn and remember names. It's harder to read faces in the classroom in terms of understanding and questioning. So I think it really has a genuine negative impact on teaching and learning.”
Now, over two years after the mask mandate was first established, the mask mandate will be reduced on Mar. 21 — a date chosen to create a buffer between the change in policy and students’ return from spring break, with classes restarting Mar. 14.
With students no longer required to wear masks in dining halls, dining hall workers are also feeling relieved by the change — Sal Solero, executive chef at Observatory Hill dining hall, said that most staff members are excited for the change and relatively unconcerned about exposure from students.
“I think everyone's done with the masks,” Solero said.
According to the update, faculty in dining and recreational facilities will continue wearing masks as a precautionary measure, but Solero remains hopeful that they too will soon be able to unmask.
“I’m looking forward to not wearing [masks] anymore, especially since they're really hot in the kitchen,” Solero said.
In addition to dining halls, masking has been required in recreational facilities for over two years now. With the new change, many workers are looking forward to a new work environment.
Michael Shipe, director of marketing and communications of IM-Rec sports, said that the many staff members are excited for the change, which has created an additional task for workers of regulating mask wearing in recreational facilities. Shipe also affirmed that the health and safety of the staff will remain a priority.
“Most staff seem to be looking forward to this [change],” Shipe said. “Of course, personal health and safety at work is something we take seriously, and we’ll be working with our staff to ensure they have what they need to be at work and have peace of mind.”
Although masking will no longer be required, staff will be continuing sanitation efforts to maintain safety. Shipe said that the staff will still provide sanitizing wipes and hand sanitizer, as well as electrostatic sprayers and CO2 level sensors to monitor air quality.
Ryan affirmed the safety of the lowered requirement in the announcement, citing global trends of decreasing cases and the effectiveness of the University’s COVID-19 policies.
“We are seeing encouraging signs that the global omicron wave is subsiding and our collective efforts as a community are effective in slowing transmission of the virus,” Ryan said.
After almost two years of masking, many students are also looking forward to the lighter requirements. First-year College student Carly Nerger said that while she wishes masks were also optional in classrooms, she understands the reasoning and is particularly looking forward to going to the gym without a mask.
“People have the option to avoid the gym if they’re worried about COVID-19 exposure, but everyone has to go to class, so I understand still wearing masks in that setting to protect the immunocompromised,” Nerger said. “I’m really excited about the change for the gym though, because it’s annoying to wear a mask while doing a hard workout.”
Also finding the masking requirement to be a downside when using recreational facilities, first-year College student Victoria Phan sees the lifting of the mask requirement as an improvement to the University’s recreational offerings as well as an important step towards returning to normalcy and moving away from a long period of mandatory COVID-19 safety measures.
“Over the last two years, I have adapted to wearing a mask while working out,” Phan said. “However, removing the mask mandate… provides an inkling of hope that things may go back to normal.”
Despite positive reactions from some students and faculty members, Student’s Council representative body passed a resolution denouncing the University’s decision to lift certain indoor mask requirements at its meeting March 1, noting that the COVID-19 pandemic is an ongoing issue.
“The University has made this decision with the threat of the virus to fully vaccinated, healthy individuals in mind with little mention of its threat to those who are vulnerable despite vaccination status,” the resolution reads.
Second-year College student Tyler Busch co-sponsored the resolution along with Gabriela Hernandez, chair of the representative body and third-year College student. During the meeting, Busch expressed his discontent with the University’s decision.
“The reason I'm bringing this resolution now is just because, for me, this idea of … lifting some mask mandates indoors appears to be ableism, plain and simple,” Busch said.
Third-year Commerce student Isabelle Nguyen said she thinks people should continue to mask if they want to, regardless of the mandate being lifted.
“I think the biggest struggle coming out of it is really just going to be accepting people from wherever they're at,” Nyugen said. “Even though the mask mandate is down, if you want to choose a mask, that's totally your thing. We all should respect each other's boundaries.”
Ryan’s email concluded by thanking the community for “the enormous and constant effort we have all put into protecting each other on every step of this long journey” and stating that the policies will continue to be evaluated as the pandemic evolves.
After two years of masking requirements, the change in policy marks a turning point. Nyugen remembers a time before masking and looks forward to a return to true face-to-face interactions.
“I think it'll be good for all of us just to be able to see and recognize each other as people,” Nyugen said.
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