Coronavirus response | UI ends vaccine, testing necessities | Coronavirus

URBANA — The College of Illinois has eliminated its COVID-19 vaccination and testing necessities for all college students and workers, System President Tim Killeen introduced.

“Though the first vaccination sequence is considerably much less efficient for the brand new COVID-19 subvariants now prevalent nationwide, the accessible bivalent booster continues to supply safety in opposition to extreme illness. Because the virus continues to evolve, so too will COVID-19 vaccines,” Killeen wrote.

“Accordingly (aside from the UIHealth system and clinics, which have separate rules), the College of Illinois System will now not require the COVID-19 main vaccine sequence for college students and workers.

“We do, nonetheless, strongly suggest that you simply keep updated with the newest vaccine or booster accessible as a barrier to severe sickness.”

Because the creation of the pandemic, unvaccinated college students and workers on UI campuses had been required to maintain up an everyday testing schedule.

Within the 2021 fall semester, after the vaccines debuted, all college students and employees needed to obtain their main vaccination sequence or face stricter testing pointers. The Urbana-Champaign campus has maintained a 95 p.c vaccination fee since then.

“Testing additionally continues to be a useful device for COVID-19 containment and, whereas the College of Illinois System will now not require common testing of those that are unvaccinated, when you do have signs or have been uncovered to the virus, we encourage you to make the most of the free testing that can proceed to be accessible,” Killeen mentioned.

Killeen inspired everybody to proceed masking indoors, although the necessities differ from campus to campus. Face coverings aren’t required on the Urbana-Champaign campus.

In Urbana, the SHIELD Illinois group testing website at Campus Recreation Middle East will keep open Monday by way of Friday from 7:30 a.m. to five:30 p.m. The Illini Union testing website will shut after Feb. 10. Those that take a look at optimistic will nonetheless be anticipated to isolate for 5 days.

The UI mentioned it’ll develop wastewater testing on its three campuses to seek out early indications of COVID-19 prevalence.

“I hope all of us proceed to make private selections and take particular person actions that maximize the protection of our group and that all of us proceed to respect the selections people make for themselves and their households,” Chancellor Robert Jones mentioned.

“Getting vaccinated and boosted, sporting a face protecting, staying house when you aren’t feeling nicely — these are easy issues we are able to do to make sure that we are able to proceed to benefit from the in-person actions we misplaced throughout the worst months of this pandemic.”