NOVA to Re-Implement Indoor Face Covering Mandate Following VCCS Directive

Dear NOVA Community,  Yesterday, Chancellor DuBois issued a statement directing all VCCS institutions to re-implement a mandatory face covering policy for all individuals, indoors on our campuses or at our sites, regardless of vaccination status. This mandate will go into effect today, August 5, and will remain in effect until further notice.

The directive is a response to rising cases attributed to the Delta variant. It reflects recent CDC guidance that calls for (1) layered prevention strategies at America’s colleges and universities to combat COVID-19, and (2) fully vaccinated people to wear a face covering in public indoor settings in areas of substantial or high transmission. 

The removal of face coverings is allowed in certain situations. For example, instructors can remove their face covering when teaching from a six-foot distance, and individuals working alone in an office can remove theirs. 

VCCS and NOVA will continue to monitor the public health of our community, transmission rates and guidance from authoritative sources, including the CDC, and revisit this mandate when needed. 

NOVA’s Face Covering Policy has been updated to reflect the new directive, and the re-implementation of the face covering mandate will be communicated to students by Student Services. Over the next week, we will update all campus/site signage to reflect this change.

As we re-implement face coverings, I once again urge all to become vaccinated against COVID.

Thank you for all that you are doing to continue to support the health and well-being of our college community.

Sincerely,

Anne