ANN ARBOR – The University of Michigan will no longer require its students, faculty and staff who have received an exemption from COVID-19 vaccination or who aren’t up to date on their vaccination to test weekly.
The measure, which was announced in an email to community members, will go into effect on Aug. 29.
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In the update, U-M’s Chief Health Officer Robert Ernst said the Community Sampling and Tracking Program will still be available for interested students and employees but will no longer be mandatory.
He added that Michigan Medicine employees should continue to follow protocols established by the health system.
As students prepare to return to campus, they are urged to test prior to arrival and the community at large is encouraged to have spare home antigen tests available in the case of an exposure, wrote Ernst.
The school’s COVID-19 Vaccination Policy from the previous year remains in place and requires that all students, faculty and staff must complete a primary vaccine series and one booster.
Community members are encouraged to report additional doses they receive, though reporting is not required by the university.
Masking is no longer required for the majority of indoor spaces including in classrooms. The university will follow COVID-19 community level protocols for Washtenaw County laid out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Masks are still required in health care settings, including at University Health Service, in clinical areas in the Dental School and in Michigan Medicine buildings.
Should they test positive for COVID-19, all students should have a plan for isolation. A limited number of isolation housing rooms will be reserved for students with a residence hall contract.
For more COVID-19 updates on campus, visit the U-M Health Response website.