Masking will be optional in all indoor and outdoor, non-health care spaces for the Fall semester, wrote Mark Denys, director of Student Health Services, in an announcement on Monday.
Temple University will still require all students, faculty and staff to be fully vaccinated to return to campus, unless granted an exemption, but will begin to phase out asymptomatic testing after offering it to begin the year. As long as more than 90 percent of the university is fully vaccinated, students, faculty and staff with medical or religious exemptions will no longer be required to participate in regular asymptomatic testing.
The university will also now also be providing students with free COVID-19 at-home tests if they provide their TUid.
Temple will host two booster shot clinics held on Aug. 29 and Aug. 30 and the university may schedule additional clinics if necessary. Students, faculty and staff can book appointments through the SHS website.
“The university’s overall vaccination rate was over 97% last year and we project that it will remain at that level this year,” Mark Denys wrote in a university wide announcement today.
The university followed the City of Philadelphia by lifting its mask mandate in April, but still required masks in classroom spaces.
There will be a limited number of KN95 masks available to students at Charles Library, the Howard Gittis Student Center information desk and the TECH Center security desk.
Temple will offer a limited number of isolation rooms available this semester and is encouraging students to isolate at home and away from campus. A negative test will not be required to leave isolation, but one will be required to return to a residence hall.
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