Author: Eleftheria Giannopoulos

Dear Fellow Patriots,

After a very successful fall semester of us all working together to stay fully open and protected from COVID, we begin the new year with new challenges and new resolve. The rapid onset of the very contagious omicron variant has made Northern Virginia, Washington D.C., and Maryland a national epicenter of new cases, so we need to take added precautions to stay healthy. Clearly, omicron has changed the rules, so we must adapt accordingly.

The bottom line for George Mason University is: The university will open as planned on January 3, and spring semester classes will begin as planned on January 24. We will require all faculty, staff, and students to obtain a booster shot as soon as they are able, and provide proof of the booster to Mason. And we will continue our indoor masking, testing, and Mason COVID Health Check requirements.

For faculty and staff, work schedules with regard to telework and remote work will remain in place for the duration of the period documented in the agreement. Given the challenges associated with this variant, we encourage employees requesting additional flexibility to work directly with their supervisor.

As we have seen, circumstances can change quickly, so our health and safety team and university administrators will continue closely to monitor conditions and will notify the Mason community of any change in plans as soon as is possible. If a change in the modality of instruction for classes at the start of the spring semester becomes necessary, we will notify the university community by January 18.

As in the fall, the spring semester’s success will depend upon the active cooperation of the entire Mason community. We are all in this together.

Here are the next steps required as we plan for a safe and healthy spring semester:

BOOSTERS: 

Public health experts have advised that vaccines are still the most effective tools to combat COVID-19, and recent scientific data overwhelmingly supports the effectiveness of booster shots in preventing severe disease and hospitalization.

Mason will require COVID-19 boosters for all faculty, staff and students, in observance of US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations. Boosters are available for free to all faculty, staff, and students at Fenwick Library A Wing and also locally. Please schedule an appointment at vaccine.gmu.edu.  

The CDC has approved and recommended vaccine boosters for anyone over age 16 who completed the Pfizer or Moderna series at least six months ago. Individuals who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are eligible to receive a booster after at least two months. Individuals who received a WHO authorized vaccine different from Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson are eligible for a booster after six months.  

All Mason students, faculty and staff must submit proof that you’ve received the booster.  

Mason students who were vaccinated by the August 1, 2021 deadline are eligible to receive a booster on February 1, 2022. The deadline to receive a booster and upload your documentation is February 15, 2022.  

Mason faculty and staff who were vaccinated by the August 15, 2021 deadline are eligible to receive a booster on February 15, 2022. The deadline to receive a booster and upload your documentation is February 15, 2022.  

Please submit your documentation through the Medicat Health Service portal. Those who are not eligible for a booster by February 2, 2022 will not be considered non-compliant until two weeks after your eligibility date.

Please consult with your primary healthcare provider if you have medical questions or concerns about the booster. You may apply for a medical or religious exemption from the booster, and if you received an exemption for the COVID vaccine, the exemption will also apply to this booster requirement. You do not need to re-apply for a medical or religious exemption unless your circumstances have changed.

We urge you to receive the booster as soon as you are eligible if you have not done so already. Please schedule your appointment at vaccine.gmu.edu.

TESTING: 

All residential students, vaccinated and unvaccinated, are required to take a pre-arrival COVID test which will be supplied by Mason. If positive, you will not be able to move in until your isolation period is concluded.  All residential students will be required to test again at move in and also 48 hours after their move-in test.

Detailed information for residential students will be sent via email directly to them and will include specific instructions for various residential populations (SciTech Campus, Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation, international students, etc.).

All faculty and staff, vaccinated and unvaccinated, who do not have an approved fully remote work agreement are required to test the week of January 17. Please note: This requirement applies to faculty and staff who have partial or no remote work agreements.

Mason will continue to offer on-campus testing, and we encourage the community to get tested when needed. In addition to our regular testing hours, testing will be available on Saturday, January 22 and Sunday, January 23. Please visit https://www.gmu.edu/safe-return-campus/personal-and-public-health/covid-19-testing for testing hours and locations.

If at any point if you develop symptoms, please seek medical care through your primary care provider, diagnostic testing locations, or Student Health Services.  Please do not come to the Fenwick surveillance testing center if you are symptomatic. 

ISOLATION AND QUARANTINE:  

In accordance with CDC guidance, Mason has revised the previously required 10-day isolation and 14-day quarantine period to 5 days for those who test negative and are asymptomatic.  For more details on isolation and quarantine requirements, please visit Mason’s Isolation and Quarantine Period Guidelines.

MASKS:  

Masks remain important tools for mitigating the spread of COVID-19 and continue to be required at Mason as they were in the fall semester. Some health experts are calling for the public to upgrade from cloth masks to at least surgical masks or even higher protective masks (i.e., N95, KN95, or KF94). We are working to obtain these newly recommended masks and will provide an update on their availability soon. To learn more about what type of mask is right for you, please visit the CDC website for advice about masks.

MASON COVID HEALTH CHECK: 

The Mason COVID Health Check is still a critical part of our plan to keep our campuses safe. This spring, we are streamlining the Mason COVID Health Check and will now only require you to fill out the survey on the days you are coming to a Mason campus or site, or when you need to report a positive test.

Please continue to use the Mason COVID Health Check as your information helps our health and safety experts understand the extent and impact of COVID within the Mason community. If you have symptoms that could be COVID or are unexplained, please consult with your health care provider or Student Health Services, and get a diagnostic test if appropriate.

Thank you in advance for your continued commitment to maintaining your own health and that of your fellow Mason Patriots.

Sincerely,

Gregory Washington
President

Mason Patriots,

The CDC and FDA have approved and recommended booster doses for certain individuals who received any of the three Covid-19 vaccines available in the U.S.

Pfizer and Moderna boosters are available for eligible individuals who completed their initial series at least six months ago. Eligible individuals include:

• People 65 years and older
• People age 18 to 64 years with underlying medical conditions
• People age 18 to 64 years who are at increased risk due to occupational or institutional settings

Individuals who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are also eligible for a booster of any of the three vaccines available in the U.S., two months after their initial vaccine.

Pfizer and Moderna boosters are available at Mason.  The vaccine clinic is open at Fenwick A on the Fairfax Campus, noon to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Schedule your vaccine appointment here (vaccine.gmu.edu) through the office of Safety, Emergency, and Enterprise Risk Management.    

At your appointment, be prepared to present your COVID Vaccination card (preferred) or other record that documents your previous vaccinations.  Please also bring a form of identification that verifies your name and date of birth. You do not need to provide proof of your medical condition, activities, or occupation.

Initial vaccine series of Pfizer and Moderna are still available.

Mason does not plan to offer vaccines to the 5-11 year-old age group.

Thank you for doing your part to protect the Mason Nation.  For more information on Mason’s ongoing COVID-19 response please visit Mason’s Safe Return to Campus website.

Sincerely,

Safety, Emergency, & Enterprise Risk Management

Fellow Patriots:

I have good news to share regarding George Mason University’s fight to contain COVID-19. As we enter week six of the Fall 2021 semester, trends are looking very positive. For reasons I will explain fully in this message, I am pleased to share that soon we will significantly reduce required COVID testing for most who are fully vaccinated, and will offer free tests to any member of the university community who wishes to be tested, regardless of their vaccination status. The Mason community has earned this rollback in testing through its collective diligence in taking the many precautions to keep COVID at bay.

How we got here

As you know, for a safe and responsible fall reopening, we required all students, faculty, and staff to be vaccinated or attain an approved medical or religious exemption, and report their vaccination status. We have required that the unvaccinated be tested weekly and physically distance. We have tested thousands of students and employees per week, regardless of vaccination status, surpassing surveillance testing standards of other Virginia universities. And finally, we have maintained a mask mandate for indoors and close-contact outdoor settings.

This community has taken this fight seriously. Masks are worn across campus, and 96 percent of our students and 91 percent of our faculty and staff either are vaccinated or have received exemptions from vaccination.

As a result, we are consistently tracking just 80 to 90 cases each week, amid a university community of 50,000. Most of those cases are mild breakthrough infections among those who are vaccinated, because the vaccinated make up the vast majority of the Mason community.

Overall, our positivity rate has ranged from 1.06 percent among unvaccinated students living off-campus to as little as 0.23 percent among vaccinated employees. Best of all, we have not seen a post-Labor Day spike in cases that we were watching closely for.

Patriots, our hard work and diligence is paying off. We are keeping COVID at bay.

Transition

Based on the stability of the campus environment, and following public health guidance, mandatory weekly COVID testing will end for the vast majority of Mason community members starting Monday, September 27, namely those who are fully vaccinated. However, any employee or student who would like to be tested may do so – we welcome you to receive a free test on campus.

We will continue to require the following testing requirements for specific populations:

• Twice a week – all unvaccinated residential students and student athletes.
• Once a week – all unvaccinated students, faculty, and staff in high-contact roles, as well as all vaccinated student athletes.  You will be contacted by the university for testing if you meet this criterion.
• Once every two weeks – all vaccinated residential students and non-residential students, faculty and staff that are in high contact roles who are vaccinated.  You will be contacted by the university for testing if you meet this criterion.

While non-high contact vaccinated employees and students will no longer be required to undergo periodic surveillance testing, circumstances throughout the semester may warrant ad hoc, circumstantial testing, such as a localized spike in cases, or after a large on-campus event in which attendees have been in a crowded setting for extended periods. In those cases, should you receive an email to be tested, you must follow the guidance and get tested.  We also strongly encourage these individuals to come and test at any test site anytime they are concerned.

All students and faculty who do not have a 100 percent remote or online exemption are still required to complete the Mason COVID Health Check daily, as well as observe our mask policy, and stay off campus if you feel sick. We are getting the upper hand on COVID at Mason, but this battle is not over yet – while celebration is in order, so is continued smart management of our community. We will continue to make adjustments as conditions warrant.

The semester is young, but it is off to a very positive start, and that is because of you, fellow Patriots. Keep up the great work. I’ll see you around our campuses.

Sincerely,

Gregory Washington
President