This afternoon, the CDC updated its guidance on mask-wearing, saying that fully vaccinated people may take off their masks both indoors and outdoors. 

This is a big deal, and it officially allows us the opportunity to return to the way the world was before COVID. However, this rule is not for everyone, as there are several exceptions, namely if you are a healthcare worker, part of a high-risk group, a user of public transportation, and if you are unvaccinated, among others.

This also comes less than a week after UNF announced that it will no longer require masks on-campus, but would continue to strongly encourage them. This has led to some concern among UNF faculty. The President of the UNF Faculty Association said in a statement:

“UFF-UNF and the Faculty Association leadership are very concerned with UNF’s announcement about the change to its mask policy and even more to the reason behind it: the Board of Governors’ (BOG) highly selective interpretation of guidelines from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the resultant mandate from the BOG that the institutions in our State University System cease mask requirements.” 

Time will tell how these newly updated guidelines will affect UNF students in the summer and fall semesters.

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