Dear Students,

As we prepare to begin in-person instruction for the Spring semester on Monday, Jan. 31, we are reaching out with a few reminders about COVID protocols for the next two weeks.

Until further notice, masks are required when indoors on any Loyola property. We strongly recommend the use of an N95 or equivalent (KN95/KF94/FFP2) mask or a cloth mask doubled with a surgical mask, which has been proven to be more effective than wearing a cloth mask alone.

Booster Requirement
COVID-19 vaccine boosters are required for all students participating in in-person classes or activities and all faculty, staff, and administrators, with the exception of those who have a medical or religious exemption approved by the University. Students should upload proof of the booster vaccine to the Loyola Student Health Portal by Jan. 31, 2022.

If you will not be eligible in time to meet that deadline, please receive your booster as soon as you are eligible and then submit documentation to the Loyola Student Health Portal. Student Health Services will email you if you are not in compliance. Thank you to all our students who have uploaded proof of their COVID-19 booster to the Loyola Student Health Portal.

Free COVID-19 Home Tests
The federal government is distributing four free at-home tests to each household. You can register for yours through this site if you haven’t already.

Event Policy
As we return to in-person classes, we will also make these changes to the event policy, when welcoming members of the community to campus for athletic competitions and other events:

For Indoor Events:

• All guests must be masked while indoors and are required to wear either an N95 or equivalent (KN95/KF94/FFP2) mask or a cloth mask along with a surgical mask.
• From Feb. 1- 13: Event spaces should be limited to 50% of the capacity of the venue. The Rapid Response Team will reassess the positivity rate at the end of two weeks and consider recommending to Cabinet that the University could increase capacity.
• Concessions are strongly discouraged except for bottled water.

For Outdoor Events: Masks are not required, and there are no restrictions on capacity. Concessions will be open at outdoor athletic events, and food and drink may be served at all outdoor events.

Proof of vaccination status is not required for attendance at indoor or outdoor events.

Gratitude

 Thank you for continuing to do your part to keep our community safe and healthy.

Sincerely,

The Rapid Response Team

COVIDResponse@Loyola.edu

Loyola.edu/COVID