Durham COVID-19 Summer Update

May 24, 2021

Dear Members of the UNH Community—

I want to begin by thanking you for everything you did in support of the commencement ceremonies for the classes of 2020 and 2021. Celebrating in person was very important to our graduates and their families, and we could not have made it happen without all of you. Thank you.

And now we’re at the start of summer. Cases of COVID-19 are on the decline on our campuses, in New Hampshire and throughout the U.S . As a result, the N.H. Department of Health and Human Services and town of Durham have provided updated guidance. In light of the current data that we track, I am happy to announce that we will begin to transition to a green mode of operation, with some mild precautions in place. Please read the following important information. Effective immediately:

  • Masks are no longer required to be worn outside except in gatherings of 20 or more where physical distancing cannot be maintained.
  • Masks should be worn indoors, regardless of vaccination status, in common areas, classrooms and labs. Masks do not need to be worn inside offices occupied by only one person.
  • COVID-19 testing is once a week for faculty, staff and fully vaccinated students (Durham students who are not vaccinated must continue to test twice a week). There is no schedule; pick a day Monday-Thursday and drop before 4 p.m. Please review the summer testing FAQs for how to make your Wildcat Pass valid when needed.
  • Dining halls have returned to self-serve food stations and some plexiglass has been removed.
  • The outdoor pool will open in mid-June in a pilot program limited to members of our community in the testing program and their immediate household members. More information will be shared soon.
  • Guidance about the plan for returning to on-campus work will be provided in the near future.

We are hopeful that as more members of our community get vaccinated and cases remain low, our campuses will transition to being fully open for the fall. We strongly encourage all members of our community to get vaccinated. If you already have, please tell us in the Health & Wellness portal or here. This is protected information and no one will know your individual decision, but having a better understanding of how much of our community has been vaccinated will help us to make informed decisions.

We will continue to provide updates as circumstances change. Thank you.
 

James W. Dean Jr.

President