The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is now providing county specific guidance that relaxes face mask recommendations for communities with low or medium COVID-19 transmission rates.

While there are some exceptions, effective on Thursday, May 20, masks and social distancing requirements will be lifted across the University of Iowa campus. This will include all research areas, with a couple caveats.

As we come to the end of the spring semester, met by warmer temperatures and news about the growing number of people now vaccinated against COVID-19 in our community, there’s reason to feel hopeful about an expanded return to campus by this fall. But we’re not out of the woods. While the pandemic’s grip has eased in the United States, a large segment of the population is still not fully vaccinated.