ORONO — The University of Maine System is making face coverings optional for students, faculty, staff and visitors in its non-classroom facilities on campuses and in UMS facilities statewide, both indoors and out, regardless of vaccination status starting March 26, according to a news release. 

Face coverings continue to be required in all classrooms, research spaces and instructional areas unless the requirement is waived by a faculty member.

“These are welcomed changes in our health and safety protocols for our university communities in this, the last half of the spring semester,” said University of Maine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy, chair of the UMS Science Advisory Board. “While we relax face covering mandates, we will continue to be vigilant and follow the science as we have throughout the pandemic. We will be ever-mindful of our individual and collective contributions to helping maintain community well-being to ensure that we finish the semester strong, and of the potential need to adjust, depending on the path of the pandemic.”

UMS also will require face coverings for public events in its facilities that welcome 75 or more persons, unless proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test result is required.

All UMS event organizers have the option to require face coverings.

Anyone exposed to or recovering from COVID-19 will be required to wear face coverings, in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance.

All are welcome to choose to wear face coverings as a personal choice, and it is recommended that all UMS community members carry a mask at all times while on the university campuses and in System facilities to use as needed.

“I applaud our students and employees for helping make this change possible through their dedication to public health and community well-being,” said Chancellor Dannel Malloy.

University of Maine System students have achieved a more than 96% fully vaccinated rate for COVID-19 and most students also have reported they are “up-to-date” with their vaccinations. These face covering changes also result from recent face covering guidance from the CDC, and improving pandemic conditions across the System.

UMS has been monitoring COVID-19 at the university- and county-specific levels through case reports, regular individual testing, and wastewater testing. The System currently has approximately a 1% COVID-19 positivity rate among everyone it tests following spring break that ended March 20, which is a lower positivity than prior to spring break despite the travel and gatherings which are often associated with the break.

“As we have throughout the pandemic, we will continue to monitor the status of COVID-19, including the highly transmissible Omicron BA.2 subvariant,” said Chancellor Malloy. “We’ll consider pivoting back to face coverings if pandemic conditions worsen, but at present, we feel confident that we can be together in-person in more of our settings without face coverings so long as we continue testing, and stay up to date on our vaccinations and boosters.”

On March 18, the System announced that students studying or participating in in-person activities at UMS universities this summer and fall will be required to be up to date with their state-mandated immunizations and COVID-19 vaccinations, as defined by the CDC. Students may request a narrowly defined exemption from the vaccination policy in keeping with UMS guidance posted on the Together for Maine website.

Being up-to-date according to the CDC includes receiving a booster when eligible. Proof of vaccination must be uploaded to the UMS PointnClick portal.