Carnegie Mellon reinstates mask policy, students must provide proof of vaccination by Monday

PITTSBURGH — Carnegie Mellon University will be reinstating the mandatory mask policy on campus starting Sunday, Aug. 15.

According to the university’s vice president for operations, interim vice president for research and COVID-19 coordinator Daryl Weinert, this “out if an abundance of caution.”

“This decision was informed by the recently updated CDC guidelines and we anticipate this to be a temporary measure as we plan a safe return to campus. As always, vaccinated individuals who wish to wear a mask before August 15 are welcome to do so,” the letter said. “We continue to closely monitor the Delta variant and the recent uptick in regional cases, which coupled with our plans to welcome thousands of community members back to Pittsburgh for the new academic year, make it clear we need to take this action to protect the health and safety of our community.”

The mandate will be reassessed once the semester is underway.

Monday is also the deadline for CMU students to submit proof of being vaccinated against COVID-19.

The university is requiring students to be vaccinated, unless they qualify for a medical or religious exemption.

>>PREVIOUS STORY: Carnegie Mellon to require all students to be vaccinated in order to enroll

Students who are not yet fully vaccinated will have opportunities to do so before the start of the fall semester, which begins Aug. 30. There will be free vaccination clinics.

CMU is not requiring faculty and staff to get vaccinated; they are only being strongly encouraged to get the shot.

A survey done a few months ago found that 90% of students and staff who completed it indicated that they were fully vaccinated. Another 9% revealed they were in the process of becoming fully vaccinated.

“There are a lot of students who are trying to get vaccinated, and it’s very helpful that there are a lot of places with access to vaccines, as well as the university is making sure to broadcast those options,” Renee Nikolov, a senior at CMU, said.

Other universities in the Pittsburgh area are also making the COVID-19 vaccine a requirement for students, including Point Park University, which is requiring students to get the vaccine but they can apply for waivers for religious or medication exemptions. However, the University of Pittsburgh is one that is not.

>>RELATED STORY: Duquesne University requiring all students get COVID-19 vaccine before fall semester

Carnegie Mellon to require all students to be vaccinated in order to enroll

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