Rutgers Lifts Indoor Mask Mandate, Still Requires COVID Booster Shots

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — After first announcing it would be one of the few universities in the state to start the school year requiring indoor masks, Rutgers University announced Monday that masks are now no longer required in classrooms or libraries.

The change in policy goes into effect October 1, Rutgers chief operating officer Antonio Calcado announced on Monday.

Masks are still required in all clinical settings, such as at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School or in a science lab.

"We are making these changes in recognition of a stable public health situation on our campuses and across the state," said Calcado in this statement sent university-wide on Monday.

Also, all Rutgers students and employees are still required to be fully vaccinated and get all booster shots, and they have to continue to upload records to this university vaccine portal to prove they have been vaccinated and got all boosters.

"There is no change in this requirement," said Calcado. "The university urges all members of its community to obtain vaccination boosters as soon as eligibility permits."

A very small percentage of Rutgers students and staff were permitted medical or religious exemptions to being vaccinated and they still must self-test weekly via a self-administered rapid (antigen) test and upload test results to the university portal.

In March of 2021, Rutgers was the first university in America to announce that it would require all students get a coronavirus vaccine. At first, Rutgers only required its students get the vaccine.

Then as the pandemic continued, Rutgers extended the vaccine mandate to anyone associated with healthcare or employed at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. And then finally in October 2021 Rutgers extended the vaccine mandate to all university professors and staff. Rutgers told all of its employees — from professors to dining hall staff — they must be vaccinated by Dec. 8, 2021 or risk termination.

Rutgers also used to require all attendees to indoor and outdoor events to show proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test, but the school has since dropped that requirement.

On this topic: Lawmaker Criticizes Rutgers For Still Requiring Masks, COVID Testing (Aug. 2022)

Rutgers Now Requires Booster Shot For All Students, Staff (Jan. 2022)