UH resumes indoor mask policy as cases rise

Face masks are once again required indoors across the University of Hawaii system, except when working alone or separated from others by 6 feet or more, UH announced.

The policy took effect Wednesday following recommendations by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on mask-wearing as well as recommendations by UH medical and public health experts and the state Department of Health.

The indoor mask requirement will remain in place and be reevaluated when the level of COVID-19 transmission in the state decreases, UH said. All members of the UH community should continue to monitor their hawaii.edu email and UHNews .org for updates, UH said.

Individuals should not come to a UH campus or facility if they:

● Have tested positive for COVID-19 and are on home isolation.

● Have new or worsening symptoms that could be COVID-19 and not attributable to a preexisting condition.

● Are immunocompromised and are a close contact of a COVID-positive individual.

● Are not “up to date” with their vaccines (receiving all vaccine doses for which they are eligible) and are a close contact of COVID-positive individual.

● Must isolate for five days after the date of last exposure. They may return on the sixth day if they have not had a fever within the past 24 hours and symptoms have significantly improved. When returning to campus, they must wear a wellfitted mask at all times and not eat or drink around others until the full 10 days have passed.

● Are subject to government-ussed or health care provider’s orders to quarantine.

Anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 and has been on campus or a UH facility should immediately contact the COVID-19 Response Team for their campus. For a list of contact information by campus, visit hawaii.edu/ covid19/covid-19-info-bycampuses/.