Johns Hopkins University (JHU) is requiring students to either wear two masks or wear an N-95 or KN-95 mask on campus during the spring semester despite nearly universal vaccination on campus and mandatory, twice-weekly testing.
The school, which is a global leader on COVID-19 research and public health policy, announced new safety protocols in a Friday email to students emphasizing the surge in COVID-19 cases caused by the Omicron coronavirus variant. The single cloth and surgical masks commonly worn on campus no longer meet the university’s mask requirements.
The university reported zero incidents of transmission on campus or in university workplaces when COVID-19 rules were followed. According to JHU, 99% of its students and faculty are vaccinated.
“If people have children under five at home who are not eligible for vaccines or if they have vulnerable seniors at home or somebody who is immunocompromised, boosting helps us reduce our risk of transmitting to others” https://t.co/5XsuvPgHa2
— Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (@JohnsHopkinsSPH) January 16, 2022
A press release from JHU noted that, with nearly universal vaccination of university students and faculty, the current surge is different from that of 2021, but it went on to explain that the school is imposing a vaccine booster mandate with a Feb. 1 deadline in addition to twice-weekly testing for students. The release acknowledged the relatively low risk the latest variant poses to most students.
JHU will also stop requiring vaccinated and boosted students to quarantine after a “meaningful contact” with a COVID-positive person. (RELATED: Pope Francis, Who Said Getting Vaccinated Is An ‘Act Of Love,’ Says Vaccines Are ‘Not A Magical Means Of Healing’)
“It is important to emphasize how much better prepared we are to face the virus now than we were when it first emerged almost two years ago. The steps you have taken—vaccination, mask-wearing, testing and more—have contributed immeasurably to the safety of our community,” the email told students. “At this time of higher community prevalence, we ask you to be particularly careful.”
JHU did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s requests for comment.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.