University of Hawaiʻi suspends COVID-19 vaccine, testing requirements starting March 26

The University of Hawaiʻi 10-campus system is indefinitely suspending the UH COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination Policies for students and employees, effective March 26, 2022. Regular testing for COVID-19 will no longer be required of students and employees with approved vaccine exemptions.

Testing will continue in the student residence halls until the end of the semester, according to UH. An earlier message to the 10-campus system notified students, faculty and staff of the policy updates.

“The UH Officers made the decision to suspend the policies based on guidance provided by the UH COVID-19 Health and Wellbeing Working Group, a team of UH medical and public health experts,” according to an email signed by the UH Officers, the leadership team with representation from the 10 campuses led by UH President David Lassner. He said the move reflects the latest COVID-19 guidance from the state and federal government.

Updated UH COVID-19 Guidelines take effect March 26

The latest update to the UH COVID-19 Guidelines also take effect on March 26 and include the following requirements:

• Face masks indoors in classrooms, shared laboratories, other instructional spaces and tightly confined educational spaces, such as advising offices and in campus venues when the number of attendees is close to maximum capacity or if it is anticipated that high numbers of higher-risk persons will be attending (required until May 13, the end of the spring 2022 semester). Instructors or presenters may remove their masks while teaching, provided that they maintain 6 feet distance from others.
  • Campus officials may further specify areas where face masks are required to enhance safety.
• For those returning to campus after quarantine or isolation, face masks must be worn around others in all settings, for the remainder of the 10-day period.
• If you test positive for COVID-19, stay home and isolate for at least 5 days (until you are fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and your symptoms are improving).
• Full or Up-to-date vaccination for employees and students in specific UH programs or courses (i.e., medical, nursing, social work, dental hygiene, allied health, etc.) where they are embedded within partner institutions that require vaccination. Officers will determine which programs may require student, faculty, or patient vaccination status.

No longer required

The following are no longer required as of March 26:

• The daily COVID-19 health screening via the LumiSight UH health app.
• Face masks indoors (except as identified above) 
• Face masks outdoors, including outdoor campus events.
• Visitors providing proof of vaccination or negative test results to access campus events.
• Uploading of negative tests for those students and employees with approved vaccine exemptions.
• Campuswide notification of positive COVID-19 cases reported on a UH campus

“As we transition to personal responsibility for managing COVID-19 infections and exposures, individuals are strongly urged to report their cases/exposures to their designated campus official,” according to the email.

UH COVID-19 Guidelines and related policies are subject to change depending on the status of the pandemic.