UVM reinstating indoor mask mandate

BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) - The University of Vermont reinstated an indoor mask requirement for all faculty, staff, students, and visitors on the Burlington campus, officials said Friday.

The requirement comes as Vermont and much of the country is coping with another surge of COVID-19 cases, many linked to the more transmissible delta variant of the virus..

“We will continue to monitor the rate of COVID-19 cases on campus, in Vermont, and across the region and will adjust this requirement if conditions warrant,” UVM Provost Patricia Prelock and Gary Derr said in a message to the campus community.

Last month, the university endorsed a plan to require COVID-19 vaccination for all students enrolled this fall. Currently, more than 90% of new and returning UVM students have been vaccinated.

In Chittenden County, where UVM is located, the vaccination rate for people aged 18 to 29 stands at 62%.

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