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CURRENT MASK STATUS


MASKS OPTIONAL

Gallaudet

Masks

COVID Mask Directive

The mask requirement will be updated as data points change, allowing for quick responses. The status will be displayed with the following icons at the Department of Public Safety (DPS) kiosk on Florida Avenue and on MyGallaudet, and will roll out to other sites, both physical and online, in the coming weeks.

Color
Indoors
Indoor Exceptions
Outdoors
Red:
Masks required
  • Employees alone in offices
  • Individuals alone in designated mask break spaces
Masks required at all times, including while walking to and from designated outdoor break areas
Yellow:
Masks required
  • Employees alone in offices
  • Individuals alone in designated mask break spaces
  • Masks not required for fully vaccinated individuals
  • Masks encouraged for unvaccinated individuals
Green:
Masks optional
Masks optional
Masks optional

MASK TYPES

With the rise of the omicron variant, there is evidence that cloth masks are not very effective at protecting the wearer. Gallaudet is now requiring that all campus community members wear one of the following mask types:
  • KN95
  • N95
  • KF94
  • BendShape (clear mask)
  • Safe ‘N’ Clear (clear mask)

Unaccepted mask types include: 

  • Neck gaiters
  • Respiratory masks
  • Surgical masks
  • Double-ply cloth masks

Exceptions to Mask Requirements for ALL statuses (Red, Yellow, Green):

  • When eating or drinking, with appropriate physical distancing (note: no eating is permitted in classrooms during class periods; quick sips of beverages are permitted);
  • When alone in a private room or office;
  • When presenting to a large assembly, standing or sitting at least six feet away from anyone else;
  • When in the swimming pool at the Field House;
  • Deafblind individuals and their support service providers (SSP) or interpreters may remove their masks if they all agree to do so;
  • When receiving services that require access to the face, mouth, or head;
  • When a medical condition or disability prevents removing the mask without assistance; those individuals should contact eop@gallaudet.edu for an exemption;
  • When necessary to lipread in times of emergency, involving threats to life, health or safety;
  • When lawfully requested to do so for facial recognition purposes;
  • Children under two years old;
  • Young children in outdoor areas at the Clerc Center specifically designated for mask breaks for them with six-feet distancing.

Gallaudet recognizes that traditional masks can be a barrier to communication for facial expressions, non-manual markers, and lipreading for our community members. Clear masks are available to all of our students, staff, and faculty. If you have not received yours, please go to the SLCC Atrium during Shild T3 testing times and request.

Questions may be sent to coronavirus@gallaudet.edu.

Exceptions to Mask Requirements during Yellow and Green status:

Faculty, instructors, and students may opt to remove their mask while teaching or addressing class, in Yellow or Green mask status, with the following requirements: 
  • The speaker must be fully vaccinated.
  • The speaker must maintain a minimum of 6 feet distance from everyone else.
  • The speaker must put their mask back on when not actively speaking or addressing the class. 
  • If a student wishes to address the class, they must stand up and move at least 6 feet away from the rest of the class. 
  • All other class participants must remain masked according to the current Yellow mask status. 
This is still in compliance with the current Yellow mask status, as well as the D.C. mask mandate, which allows for speakers to remove their mask while addressing audiences as long as there is 6 feet of distancing. 
 
This is optional. It is important that everyone respects the choice of their faculty, instructor, and other students. If any speaker chooses to continue wearing a mask, it is required to respect that choice. 
 
Note: if our positivity rate begins to go up, or if there are incidents of classroom transmission, this optional mask-off in the classroom privilege may be suspended.

An important note about respect

Each individual will monitor their own vaccination status and comply with the mask policy accordingly. Community members will not police mask usage, and will respect each other’s privacy by not inquiring about vaccination status and refraining from making assumptions based on their mask usage.

When masks are not required for those who are vaccinated (during green and yellow status), many will choose to continue wearing a mask for their own personal comfort, and the community is expected to support their choices.

All GU Community members will receive masks upon request at SLCC during testing hours:

How to use KN95/N95/KF94 masks:
These masks may be rotated throughout the week, allowing them to air out in between use. They may be reused as long as they are clean, undamaged, and still retain their shape, for up to 10-20 uses. More masks are available upon request at SLCC during testing hours.

Care instructions for BendShape clear masks:
Mask washing instructions

Mask Status
Criteria
Mask Usage Policy
Green:
Masks Optional
Cases: 0 outbreaks and 0 positive cases

and/or

Vaccination Rate: 75% or greater
Indoors
Fully vaccinated: optional
Unvaccinated: strongly encouraged

Outdoors
Fully vaccinated: optional
Unvaccinated: encouraged
Yellow:
Mask Up Indoors
Cases: 2 outbreaks and/or 4-5 positive cases

and/or

Vaccination Rate: 70% or greater
Indoors
Fully vaccinated: required
Unvaccinated: required

Outdoors
Fully vaccinated: optional
Unvaccinated: encouraged
Red:
Mask UP
Cases: 3+ outbreaks and/or 6+ positive cases

and/or

Vaccination Rate: <65%
Indoors
Fully vaccinated: required
Unvaccinated: required

Outdoors
Fully vaccinated: required
Unvaccinated: required
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