In light of steadily declining trends in COVID-19 hospitalizations, community transmission and employee illness, WashU Med, in collaboration with BJC HealthCare, is updating guidance on masking and meetings. Masks will be optional for fully vaccinated employees and students who work in office-based or non-clinical settings where no patients or clinical visitors are encountered, effective Sept. 1. Individuals are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose in a two-dose series, such as the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, or two weeks after the single-dose J&J/Janssen vaccine.
Masking continues to be required in clinical settings and is strongly encouraged in large indoor gatherings and crowded spaces. Unvaccinated employees and students with approved vaccine exemptions must remain masked in all spaces.
WashU Med and BJC HealthCare continue to closely monitor COVID-19 transmission in the community and on the Medical Campus. These rules may change as disease activity changes and CDC guidelines and science advance, including potential return to more restricted guidance based on local conditions.