College is to “strongly recommend” the wearing of face masks in indoor settings on campus amidst concerns over the spread of Covid-19, an internal college email has suggested.
Ahead of the start of the new academic year next month, Vice-Provost Orla Shiels said that the College community was “conscious of the worrying levels of circulation of the Covid-19 virus”, and that it will continue to have an impact on college life throughout the year.
“It is important that we continue to encourage students and staff to follow all those familiar guidelines relating to hand hygiene, wearing of face masks and individual responsibility for managing symptoms or illness of any kind.”
Regarding the wearing of face masks in particular, Shiels said it would be “helpful” if module coordinators were to “strongly recommend wearing them in lecture settings, library and other venues where people may be in close quarters”.
However, it does not appear that there are plans to officially mandate the wearing of face masks at this time, in line with current government guidelines.
The vice-provost warned that Covid-19 will “continue to interrupt our plans for normal functioning in the coming months”, and that additional contingency measures are being planned with regards to the delivery of lectures and other content, such as the provision of recorded or live streamed lectures in cases where students or staff cannot attend campus due to the virus.
Trinity’s on-campus mask mandate came to an end at the end of February, when most national Covid-19 restrictions were lifted.
