Wearing masks will not be mandatory in College from Monday, Trinity has said, but staff and students are still being encouraged to wear face coverings indoors.
In an email to staff and students, Secretary to the College John Coman and Interim Chief Operating Officer Orla Cunningham said: “We are writing to let you know that face coverings will no longer be compulsory in Trinity from Monday, 28 February, apart from in health care settings”, in line with updated public health advice.
“However, to continue protecting each other, especially the medically vulnerable, we still recommend mask wearing in our lecture theatres, libraries, tutorials and labs”.
The email said that the COVID-19 Management Team will finalise the details.
Last week, this newspaper reported that Trinity’s COVID-19 working groups will no longer meet on a weekly basis “given the continued positive COVID outlook”, and will convene only as required.
College set up a number of committees in early 2020 to make decisions on the evolving pandemic and its effect on campus activities.
In an email statement to The University Times, Trinity Media Relations Officer Catherine O’Mahony said: “At the Trinity Living with COVID meeting last week, a decision was taken that weekly meetings of all Covid committees would cease and that meetings will only be convened as required given the continued positive COVID outlook.”
The government has recently announced a significant easing of coronavirus restrictions where masks will no longer be mandatory except in healthcare settings.
At the start of term, College approved the purchase of 75,000 FFP2 masks for students and staff in certain cohorts.
Confidential documents brought to Trinity’s Living with COVID oversight group, obtained by The University Times, show that Trinity’s COVID-19 management team recommended the purchase of the face masks.
Last semester, boxes of free disposable surgical masks were available to all students.
Correction: 12.03 February 23rd, 2022
An earlier headline of this article incorrectly stated that masks were no longer compulsory from today. In fact it will be from Monday.
