At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, Bloomsburg University began requiring masks in all indoor locations on campus. Now, two years later, BU is going maskless.

Bloomsburg University just announced in an email the option for masks in indoor spaces on BU campus starting on Tuesday March 1, 2022.

According to the CDC and PA Department of Health, mask guidance has been updated.

“The CDC now assigns a color code for each county’s COVID-19 Community Level, which in turn indicated whether masks are required for indoor spaces. The color codes are Green (Low), Yellow (Medium), and Red (High). According to the CDC, individuals in counties with yellow or green levels may choose to wear a mask, but are not required to do so,” according to an email sent from BU.

Columbia County is currently in the yellow level, meaning that masks are not required in indoor spaces.

Even with this new protocol, masks are still highly recommended, but not required in the classroom and other indoor areas of BU.

According to the email sent from BU, masks will still be required in the BU Student Health Center, BU Speech, Language, and Hearing Clinic, Public Transportation, Campus COVID testing locations if a student is experiencing symptoms.

Bloomsburg University will continue to monitor COVID-19 cases and a mask mandate may come back into effect if there is a rise in positive cases.

The email said in bold letters, “People may choose to wear a mask at any time; please support and respect their decision.”