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.

In-person research visits occurring in UI Hospitals and Clinics facilities may resume beginning Monday, December 14, 2020, given the following conditions:

Because of the proclamation by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on 11/16/2020, and the need to reassign clinically trained research staff to clinical responsibilities, in-person research visits in UI Hospitals & Clinics facilities that are not essential to a participant's health and/or well-being should be postponed until further notice.

Phase 3 activities include, but are not limited to, requirements for entering and working in the animal facilities (unchanged), return to standard weekly animal orders (100%), return to use of IACUC approved satellite housing locations, limited facility training tours and labs (unchanged), as well as limitations on animal facility access by undergraduate students.

University of Iowa scholars and artists, along with community partners, share their perspectives on the pandemic through the lenses of their areas of expertise in a series of video interviews conducted by the Obermann Center for Advance Studies. 

To facilitate a phased return to campus, the University of Iowa instituted a pilot program involving research and the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics to test health and safety protocols. Over the past two months, the pilots involving the two departments have successfully tested elements of the UI’s return to campus plan.

 Several additional buildings are reopening to allow a limited number of faculty who have a compelling need to work on campus, part of Phase 3 of the University of Iowa’s research ramp-up.

The Office of the Vice President for Research and the Human Subjects Office are providing updated guidance related to Stage 3 of the resumption of human subjects-related research visits.