Dear Northeastern Community,

The university is marking another milestone in its management of COVID-19 as we move to align our mask policy with recent public health guidance. Effective Saturday, March 5th, masks indoors on the Boston campus will be optional for students, faculty, staff, visitors, and contract employees. The decision is guided by scientific data and the latest public health guidelines. The City of Boston announced yesterday that it is lifting its indoor mask mandate effective on Saturday.

On many of our campuses, indoor mask mandates have already been lifted, including in Nahant, Burlington, London, Portland, Charlotte, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Starting this Saturday, masks on the Boston campus will no longer be required in indoor spaces, including residence halls, classrooms, dining halls, offices, fitness centers, and other campus buildings.

State guidelines still require people to wear masks in some settings, such as public transportation and inside medical facilities, such as University Health and Counseling Services (UHCS).

We understand that people may have different comfort levels when it comes to removing their masks, and we urge everyone to respect the decision of others regarding mask wearing.

As always, we are prepared to adapt our campus protocols as needed, keeping the health and wellness of our community at the forefront of our decision making. If you have questions, please refer to comprehensive online resources here or submit questions to NUCOVID19Qs@northeastern.edu.

In reaching this milestone, we want to commend the individual and collective efforts of our students, faculty and staff in persevering through the challenges presented by this historic event. Together, we have maintained a safe and healthy community. Thank you for all you have done to contribute to those efforts.

Sincerely,

David Madigan
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Ken Henderson
Chancellor and Senior Vice President for Learning