PROVIDENCE – Bryant University in Smithfield and the University of Rhode Island in South Kingstown announced recently that the respective campuses will no longer require campus community members to wear masks on campus, except in certain situations.
Bryant’s announcement came not long after the university said it will fully reopen its campus June 1. Bryant said it will not require fully vaccinated people to wear masks indoors or outdoors.
URI recently said that it will require students to be vaccinated by Aug. 16. URI said masks will not be necessary on campus for fully vaccinated people, except for visiting URI Health Services, using public transportation, when indicated by a facility/employment such as a research laboratory, or duties that require it for safety, or at the request of faculty.
Both URI and Bryant’s respective decisions to loosen the mask restrictions align with new guidance released recently by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Additionally, Rhode Island has since pulled back on its mask restrictions as of May 18, stating that masks are not required for fully vaccinated people – and reopened the state to 100% capacity May 21. However, businesses in Rhode Island can implement their own mask-wearing policies if they choose.
Along with encouraging their communities to get vaccinated at their earliest opportunity, Bryant and URI also said those who are not fully vaccinated should continue to wear masks indoors on campus and outdoors on campus.
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.
