Dear Ann Arbor campus community member, 

We are writing to share important changes to COVID-19 policies that apply to all students, faculty and staff on the Ann Arbor campus.

Effective May 2, the following mitigation strategies apply for our campus community:

  • Wearing a mask is no longer required on campus in instructional settings during class time or while on U-M buses. 
  • Masks remain required in patient care areas and at campus COVID-19 testing sites and are optional in all other areas of campus. Masks remain an effective measure for enhanced personal protection against the spread of COVID-19, especially for individuals who have a compromised immune status, who are not up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccinations, or who have an increased risk of contracting COVID-19. 
  • Michigan Medicine will maintain its current universal masking policy in all facilities where a patient may arrive as part of their care, including for billing or administrative purposes. The Medical School will follow campus guidelines and protocols.  
  • The campus community is expected to remain up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations — completion of primary vaccine series and one booster — as outlined under the vaccination policy.
  • Weekly testing of those with an exemption from the vaccination policy is expected.
  • Free asymptomatic testing remains available on campus through the Community Sampling and Tracking Program (CSTP).
  • Continued use of the daily symptom checker tool, ResponsiBLUE, is expected.
  • Continued self-reporting of positive test results from at-home tests to the university is expected.

The two schools — the Law School and the Medical School — that have winter term classes and exams scheduled to meet through early May will maintain the masking requirement during class time through the end of their winter term schedule. 

The changes to the face covering policy are consistent with the COVID-19 community level guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which provides a measure of the impact of COVID-19 illness on health and health-care systems in addition to current case activity to help inform decision making for mitigation measures at the local level.

Data on our COVID-19 dashboard show that the number of COVID-19 cases on campus have continued to trend downward in the last two weeks but remain at an elevated level, and that the majority of individuals who sought testing at University Health Service reported mild symptoms. The university’s Campus Health Response Committee will continue to monitor COVID-19 activity in the U-M community and base recommendations on the latest guidance available. 

Reminders for the U-M community to reduce the spread of COVID-19 include:

  • Get vaccinated against COVID-19, including any additional recommended boosters.
  • Get tested after close contact exposures and wear a mask for a full 10 days.
  • Stay home, avoid others and get tested for COVID-19 when you are sick or experiencing symptoms.  
  • Isolate for at least five days and wear a mask around others for a full 10 days if you test positive for COVID-19.  

For the latest information and updates related to COVID-19, please visit the Campus Maize and Blueprint at: https://campusblueprint.umich.edu/.

Sincerely,

Robert D. Ernst

Associate Vice President of Student Life

Director of Campus COVID Response

Preeti Malani

U-M Chief Health Officer