Daily Symptom Tracking Requirements Rescinded

February 17, 2022

All Employees and Students,

As the status of COVID-19 has been continually changing, our principal goal has been to be flexible and adjust university policies based on available data and public health guidance. This past Tuesday, Governor Baker loosened the recommendations for indoor mask wearing for the Commonwealth. Although this is positive news, mask wearing requirements continue to fall under the purview of each community’s local board of health. Therefore, we are hopeful that the Longmeadow and East Longmeadow boards will convene shortly to vote on rescinding their mask mandate. Until then, we will continue with our present mask policy.

Throughout the pandemic, our health and safety protocols have been based on the guidance of the CDC, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and our local boards of health. This policy combined with Bay Path University’s high vaccination and booster rates have allowed us to effectively manage the Omicron variant. We continue to see a decrease in positive case rates in our Bay Path community with most of them being reported as being mild with manageable symptoms.

Consequently, beginning Friday, February 18, 2022 at 9:00AM, students, staff, and faculty will no longer be required to complete and submit their daily symptom check. Building access will no longer be linked to the questionnaire, and the “Daily Symptom Check” icon will be removed from the portal. Employees and students are still required to comply with the vaccination and booster policy. These two icons will remain on the portal.

If you exhibit any COVID signs or symptoms, we remind you to stay home and seek medical advice.

Please stay safe and healthy,

The COVID Task Force