In the face of decreased COVID-19 cases on campus, the College moved to end the mask mandate. Photo by Jenny Yu '24.
By Emma Watkins ’23
Managing Editor of Content
The Oct. 5 MHC This Week email to the College community included a letter from Interim President Beverly Daniel Tatum which stated that the campuswide mask mandate will end “at the close of business on Oct. 14.”
In her letter to the College community, Tatum stated, the “COVID-19 case count on campus has dropped dramatically, from a high of more than 50 active cases among students earlier in the month to just 18 last week and only a handful of new positive cases reported so far this week.” Throughout the letter, Tatum emphasized that the College will operate on a “masks welcome” basis, stating that community members who desire to wear a mask are “free” to do so.
Tatum’s letter also explains that the College “strongly recommend[s]” anyone who is eligible for the bivalent booster vaccine to receive it. Tatum also notified the College community that the on-campus vaccination clinic will not take place until “mid-November” because of “high demand.” She goes on to list various places students can receive the vaccine locally, including the University of Massachusetts Amherst vaccination clinic and stores such as CVS and Big Y. The letter also outlines that each of those vaccination locations is available by PVTA and The Division of Student Life is in the process of organizing transportation for Mount Holyoke students to the UMass vaccination site and to CVS.
Tatum went on to outline the importance of “individual responsibility,” stating, “We are a community that relies on each other to act responsibly.” Tatum concluded the letter by addressing “a small number of immunocompromised members of our community who have special health concerns.” She wrote that the College has “a process in place to accommodate [the needs of immunocompromised community members], which sometimes includes masking requirements in classrooms.” She directs students to contact dean-college@mtholyoke.edu for further information regarding accommodations and directs employees to refer to a Human Resources document, which she linked in the letter.
Tatum stated that she anticipates the “masks welcome” policy will remain in place throughout the fall semester, including when students return to campus from November break.