Message from Joe Giffels: Guidance for Researchers Post-June 30

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11 years 8 months
Submitted by pokemon on

Dear Colleagues,

The Governor’s announcement yesterday is welcome news for our daily lives as masking and social distancing requirements are relaxed/eliminated for most of our personal activities.

The University, however, is under regulation as a workplace by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I). L&I also published their regulatory updates yesterday and the University is in the process of finalizing policies and procedures for their implementation to be in effect by the end of next week. This will include guidance for relaxing distancing for all employees and relaxing masking requirements for those who are fully vaccinated.

For now, current guidelines (masking, distancing) remain in effect until the University releases formal guidance next week.

What we know: Physical distancing will no longer be required, regardless of vaccination status.  Employees who are not fully vaccinated are encouraged to distance if in a crowded setting or in areas that are not well ventilated.

Face coverings will no longer be required for fully-vaccinated individuals. Face coverings will still be required indoors for non-fully vaccinated individuals with the exception of settings where face coverings are required for all people regardless of vaccination status (healthcare, childcare, K-12, shuttles). Units will be required to verify employee vaccination status prior to lifting masking requirements.

While we wait for further guidance, there is time to plan for this full return to in-person research. PIs should review and draft updates to their Return to In-Person Research Plans for rapid implementation.

We will send out final guidance as soon as it is available next week, and then we can all move forward with a more normal implementation of in-person research!

Sincerely,

Joe Giffels

Sr. Associate Vice Provost

Office of Research