Plans for Lifting COVID Restrictions by Campus
Last updated: May 6, 2022
Based on continued low levels of positive COVID-19 cases, the university has started to relax its COVID restrictions on a campus-by-campus basis. See below for details.
Should community transmission or the number of Tufts cases increase to high levels, especially with a new SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern, we may need to quickly reinstitute our mitigation measures. Decisions regarding these measures will be based on science, data, and public health guidance. For this reason, ALL DATES BELOW ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE BASED ON CURRENT DATA.
You will find additional campus policies, requirements, and recommendations for all students, faculty, staff, and visitors on our Healthy@Tufts page.
Boston Health Sciences Campus
Please note that the Dental School and the HNRCA have additional protocols in place that staff will need to follow when working in these buildings.
Phase 1: February 28, 2022
Surveillance Testing: Surveillance testing is no longer required. Voluntary surveillance testing is available. Employees who want to participate should test at their former cadence of 1 x per week. Symptomatic testing continues to be required.
Mask Wearing: Masks continue to be required in all indoor spaces except when eating or drinking or when alone in a closed-door office.
Phase 2: March 15, 2022
Mask Wearing: If there is a continued decline in positive cases, faculty in large lecture halls (>12 feet away from the front row) may choose to lecture without a mask. Masks continue to be required for students in large lecture halls and for all individuals in non-large lecture halls. Masks continue to be required in offices and labs and at events, except when eating or drinking or alone in a closed-door office.
Phase 3: April 1, 2022
Surveillance Testing: Voluntary surveillance testing is no longer available. Symptomatic testing continues to be available.
Mask Wearing: Masks on the Boston Health Sciences campus are voluntary but will continue to be strongly encouraged. Individuals may choose to wear masks for whatever reason and for as long as they feel the need. Please respect one another’s comfort level and decisions about this.
May 2 through May 27
Testing:
- Tufts community members with a Tufts ID will be able to receive a PCR test at the 116 Harrison Ave. testing center, which will be open Mon.-Fri., 8am to 4:30pm through May 27.
- Individuals who are symptomatic may request a BinaxNOW rapid antigen test and a confirming PCR test.
June 1 and beyond: additional plans will be communicated.
Grafton Campus (Cummings School)
Phase 1: March 14, 2022
Testing: Surveillance testing will be replaced with voluntary testing, except in clinics where once a week testing is required. Volunteers, guests, and vendors do not need to test, but they must be vaccinated. If symptomatic testing is needed, contact cummingscovid@tufts.edu.
Mask Wearing: Masking will continue to be required in classrooms, except for instructors in large theaters.
Phase 2: April 1, 2022
Testing: Voluntary testing will end for all parts of the campus, except for hospital and clinic employees and students. Voluntary testing will be available on Mondays and Thursdays. If symptomatic testing is needed, contact cummingscovid@tufts.edu. People who are sick should stay home but will no longer be required to contact cummingscovid@tufts.edu.
Mask Wearing: Mask wearing in classrooms and laboratories will become voluntary. Mask wearing in hospitals and clinics with a client interface will remain mandatory and all clients must wear masks to enter buildings.
Phase 3: April 15, 2022
Testing: Voluntary testing in hospitals and clinics will end. People who are sick should still stay home. If symptomatic testing is needed, contact cummingscovid@tufts.edu.
Mask Wearing: Mask wearing in hospitals and clinics with a client interface will remain mandatory and all clients must wear masks to enter buildings.
Phase 4: May 1, 2022
Testing: People who are sick should still stay home. If symptomatic testing is needed, contact cummingscovid@tufts.edu. Rapid antigen tests are available by request for Tufts community members experiencing symptoms.
Mask Wearing: Mask wearing in hospitals and clinics will become voluntary. Clients will no longer be required to wear masks.
Medford/Somerville & SMFA Campuses
Surveillance Testing
- We will continue routine surveillance testing for all faculty, staff, and students until May 5 at the following frequency:
- AS&E and Fletcher graduate students, except those living on campus or in an athletics program: 1x per week
- Undergraduate students: 2x per week
- Faculty and staff: 1x per week
- May 6:
- Routine surveillance testing will be replaced with voluntary PCR testing for all students, faculty, and staff at 62R Talbot Ave. and at 230 Fenway.
- Individuals who are symptomatic, or upon request, will receive a BinaxNOW rapid antigen test and a confirming PCR test.
- Appointment and compliance reminders will end.
- Results will continue to be provided via email and the Tufts Mobile app
- Contact tracing will end.
- 62R Talbot Ave. will be open 7am to 6pm, 7 days a week, from May 6 through May 27. Hours of operation at 230 Fenway will remain the same through May 27. Both testing centers will close on May 27. 62R Talbot Ave. will reopen at 7am on May 31. See below for hours of operation between May 31 and June 15.
- May 27:
- COVID-19 testing of vendors, affiliates, and contractors ends.
- 62R Talbot Ave. will close at 5pm and remain closed for the Memorial Day weekend.
- Post-Memorial Day Weekend:
- Voluntary PCR testing for Tufts staff has been extended to June 15 at 62R Talbot Ave.
- May 31-June 15: 62R Talbot Ave. will be open weekdays, 7am-3pm; and 7am-6pm on June 3-5 and June 10-12 (reunion weekends).
- Faculty and staff who are experiencing symptoms should contact Jumbo Health Center (JHC) at jumbohealth@marathon-health.com or 617-627-0467, or their PCP, for guidance on testing.
- Symptomatic students who participate in Student Health Services (SHS) should contact SHS or their PCP if they have questions about symptoms or testing.
- Students who are not eligible to use SHS should contact their PCP with questions about symptoms and locally available testing.
- Additional plans will be communicated.
Isolation Policy
- Vaccinated and unvaccinated graduate and undergraduate students on the Medford/Somerville and SMFA campuses who test positive for COVID-19 will isolate for at least 5 days at home (if you live off-campus) or in the mods or in a designated hotel room near campus.
- You must still wear a mask everywhere —even at home around others—for at least five more days after being released from isolation.
- For more information, see our isolation guidelines.
Masking
- Indoor masking, including at events and in classrooms, laboratories, studios, libraries, dining halls, and residences (except when alone, or eating/drinking, or in a residence hall room with one’s roommate) will be required through May 31.
- This policy applies to all indoor events being held on the Medford/Somerville and SMFA campuses through the end of May.
- Effective April 7, faculty in large lecture halls and speakers at events who are at least 12 feet away from the front row may choose to lecture/speak without a mask.
- Effective June 1, masking will be voluntary for everyone indoors; however, we strongly encourage everyone to wear masks, especially those who are immunocompromised, have an accommodation and are not vaccinated against COVID-19, and those who wish to protect themselves and others from COVID-19. It is important to respect one another's personal comfort level and decisions about mask wearing.
- Cloth masks have been shown to be much less effective than 3-ply surgical masks, KN95, or N95. Tufts strongly recommends that individuals who choose to mask for their own protection wear a KN95 mask. Masks will not be widely distributed on campus, but people who need a KN95 mask may request up to five per week at 62R Talbot Ave.
- Effective June 1, masking will be optional, but encouraged, at all indoor events. For more about events, please see the current university guidelines for masking, food, and vaccination requirements for on-campus events.
Visitors & Events
Effective June 1, masking will be optional, but encouraged, at all indoor events.
Vaccination requirements will remain in place for all events.
Please follow current university guidelines for masking, food, and vaccination requirements for on-campus events.
Symptoms of COVID-19
If you experience symptoms of COVID-19, you must report your symptoms to Student Health Service (students) or Marathon Health (faculty/staff) and obtain a rapid antigen test before returning to class or work on campus.