Despite easing some of its COVID-19 protocols in February and largely ditching masks in March, Boston University has continued to see coronavirus cases stay low. Between March 16 and 22, 0.81 percent of tested students were positive for COVID. Faculty and staff are no longer required to test, but of those who did, 0.68 percent of staff and 0.39 percent of faculty were positive, according to BU's public-facing COVID-19 data dashboard.
In a letter to the University community on Thursday, Judy Platt, BU's chief health officer and executive director of Student Health Services, quoted those "favorable trends"-combined with "little to no indication of severe illness or hospitalizations due to COVID-19"-in announcing updates to on-campus pandemic protocols. Many of the changes don't kick in until the end of the semester:
Testing: Big changes are coming on May 23, the day after BU's Commencement, when the University will end asymptomatic testing-after that date, only symptomatic testing will be available. Students are required to continue weekly testing until May 13 or until they leave campus. Weekend testing will end after Sunday, April 3. Faculty and staff are still not required to test-but can continue to take advantage of asymptomatic testing for the next two months.
Isolation housing: The University's East Campus isolation accommodation will stay open until June 1. After that, on-campus students will be required to isolate at their assigned residences.
Summer programs: The University's usual summer offerings-courses, programs, orientations, and camps-are returning. There will be no arrival or routine COVID tests.
Commencement: The big event is on for May 22, and will be held in person. Masks will be optional and vaccination is strongly encouraged for all guests.
Masking: No changes here. The University had previously said it may consider ending masking in classrooms after April 4-that isn't happening. Masks will continue to be required in classrooms (and in health facilities and on the BUS) for the rest of the semester-but remain optional just about everywhere else.
Despite the low rates of transmission on campus and in New England, many public health experts are predicting that the lull in cases won't last. With numbers rising again in Europe and Asia-and the highly transmissible Omicron BA.2 subvariant beginning to dominate in New England-The Brink asked Platt and Gloria Waters, BU vice president and associate provost for research, why they feel confident announcing these changes now. And what it might take to bring masks back.
Have more COVID questions? Visit Back2BU for the latest on BU's pandemic protocols.
