classroom mask mandate lifted

UMD lifts classroom mask mandate

By Parker Leipzig | @leipzig_parker | Staff writer

A student removes her mask. UMD is lifting the mask mandate in classrooms for the upcoming Fall 2022 semester.

(autumn hengen/the diamondback)

The University of Maryland will lift its classroom masking requirement in the fall 2022 semester, according to a Wednesday email from University Health Center Director Spyridon Marinopoulos.

The decision comes just days before the start of this university’s fall semester. Marinopoulos cited Prince George’s County’s low COVID-19 transmission rates as the reason for the change.

KN95 masks were mandated for all students in classroom settings in the spring 2022 semester. The university lifted the mask requirement for indoor spaces other than classrooms, public transportation and patient care areas in February of this year.

While not required, Marinopoulos still recommended students wear KN95 masks indoors. Masking is still required for students in the University Health Center.

The university has also requested students get tested for COVID-19 within 24 hours of returning to the campus for the fall semester. It will continue to require COVID-19 vaccinations for all on-campus staff, faculty and students.