HOLLAND, Mich — Hope College will now require students, staff, and visitors to mask up regardless of of vaccination status.
Earlier this month, Hope College indicated to students and staff there would not be a mask mandate, but said officials will reassess depending on COVID cases and vaccination rates.
On Sept. 14, the school will take a look at transmission rates, campus wastewater and surveillance testing to see if the mask policy needs to remain in place.
“We recognize that none of us want to wear masks again. Yet we also recognize that doing so is for the health and safety of ALL faculty, staff and students at our college,” the college’s Campus Health Advisory Team said in a message sent to students and their families on August 19.
“We can do this together because it allows us to still be together. Thank you for partnering with us in this endeavor.”
While Hope College encouraged students, faculty and staff to get vaccinated, it is not a requirement to attend in the fall.
The school is asking students and staff to reveal their vaccination status through an online health portal.
As of August 19, about 81% of enrolled students were fully vaccinated or planned to be fully vaccinated early in the semester, and more than 81% of faculty and staff had reported being fully vaccinated.
The state of Michigan is in the "high" risk zone for the spread of COVID-19, which is the highest level of risk for the virus.
Current CDC guidance recommends unvaccinated and fully-vaccinated people to wear masks in public indoor settings in areas of substantial or high transmission.
Many other West Michigan universities and other regional schools have mandated masks indoors as well as requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for students.
The fall semester begins on Tuesday, Aug. 31.
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