UCLA removes indoor masking requirement ahead of Fall quarter

After requiring months of indoor masking, University of California Los Angeles officials have opted to drop their mandate as students get set to return ahead of the Fall quarter. 

Towards the end of the 2022 Spring quarter in May, the school announced that it would reinstate the mask mandate — which had previously been lifted previously during that term — meaning that students and families were required to mask up for graduation ceremonies, citing a spike in COVID-19 cases throughout Los Angeles County.

Now, as cases continue to decline and hospitalizations stabilize, school officials have once again aligned with health officials in removing the indoor masking requirement. 

"As the pandemic evolves and the severity of illness seems to be waning, we are adjusting our campus protocols to better align with current public health conditions in line with the transitions that have already occurred at other academic institutions, and within the county and state," said Vice Chancellor Michael Beck and Professor of microbiology Megan McEvoy, who co-chair the university's COVID-19 Response and Recovery Task Force.

While indoor masking will remain a necessity in places like health care facilities and on public transportation, it will only be strongly recommended in other indoor settings across campus. 

Students, who are still required to be vaccinated and boosted against coronavirus, will also no longer have to fill out a daily symptom-monitoring survey. In turn, they are asked to self monitor and stay home if they feel unwell. 

COVID-19 tests will remain available to students on campus.