Dear Members of the Georgetown University Community,
In response to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, the university is implementing new guidance requiring all employees, students and visitors to wear a face covering when on any of the university’s DC campuses beginning immediately and effective until further notice.
This guidance is in accordance with the May 13, 2020, District of Columbia Mayor’s Extensions of Public Emergency and Public Health Emergency and Preparation for Washington, DC Reopening Order 2020-066 which mandates, as it pertains to Georgetown, face coverings for individuals engaging in minimal business operations where social distance cannot be maintained.
As detailed in the guidance, all employees and students in a Georgetown University Washington, DC, campus space (including campus buildings, campus grounds, shared laboratory areas, shared residence hall spaces, conference rooms, etc.) are required to wear a face covering at all times, except when alone in a private room with a closed door or in a private vehicle. This guidance also applies to all riders of university GUTS buses. Visitors to campus will also be required to wear face coverings at all times, including children over the age of two.
Employees or students who live or work on campus and cannot wear a face covering for reasons related to their inclusion in a protected category may request an accommodation through the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity and Affirmative Action (IDEAA). Students who wish to request a disability-related accommodation may do so by contacting the Academic Resource Center (for Main Campus and Medical Center students) or the Office of Disability Services (for Law Center students).
Any employee, student or visitor who fails to abide by these guidelines may be asked or directed to leave the campus space. Employees and students who are directed to leave a campus space for failure to comply with these guidelines may be taken off duty and/or subject to disciplinary action.
As a reminder, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies), especially in areas of significant community-based transmission. You should NOT use N-95 face masks meant for health care workers; however, it is easy to make your own face coverings at home. Faculty and staff who need support in securing a face covering can contact the Office of Emergency Management. Students remaining on campus will be contacted and informed about resources related to this new guidance.
The best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to this virus. More information about the university’s face covering guidance as well as additional health information, answers to frequently asked questions and other university resources on the Georgetown Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resource Center.
If you would like to receive a daily update listing all new COVID-19 communications sent by Georgetown, subscribe to our daily digest. Should you have additional questions, please contact our university call center at 202-784-3510, Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sincerely,
Robert M. Groves, Provost
Edward B. Healton, Executive Vice President for Health Sciences and Executive Dean of the School of Medicine
William M. Treanor, Executive Vice President and Dean of the Law Center
Geoffrey S. Chatas, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer