ICYMI: McMaster's mask mandate is going away & here's when

C/O McMaster University

Is this temporary or is there light at the end of the tunnel?

On March 25, 2022, McMaster’s Office of the Provost issued a statement to students which indicates that the university is pausing the masking and vaccine requirements as of May 1, 2022.

According to the statement, the changes are possible due to the diligence exhibited by the McMaster community.

“We are able to take this step, which allows us to align with government requirements, because of the respect that people across the University have shown to each other by getting vaccinated and wearing masks,” reads the letter from the Office of the Provost. 

Some students might be confused with the statement’s wording, specifically “pausing.”

The statement notes that the requirements could be reinstated if the pandemic situation worsens, public health guidance shifts, or government requirements change.

The news follows McMaster’s decision to keep the requirements until the end of the winter term, which differed from the province’s guidance that masking and mandatory vaccines would not be needed in most settings after March 21, 2022.

Although McMaster will end its masking requirements on May 1, the university encouraged students to keep masking up in higher-risk settings.

“Surgical masks will continue to be available on campus and everyone is encouraged to continue to wear masks indoors, especially in classrooms, the libraries, crowded spaces, or close workspaces,” reads the statement from the Office of the Provost.