VTCSOM COVID update March 23, 2022

Dear VTCSOM Faculty, Staff and Students,

The Policy Statement released by University Relations on March 10, 2022 states that masks are no longer required in indoor public settings at Virginia Tech campuses, except for health care settings and on public transit, and that masks are recommended in indoor instructional settings.  In light of the fact that our medical school faculty, staff and students are present in a variety of buildings on the Roanoke campus, I am writing to clarify how we are implementing the university policy at VTCSOM.

• Mask wearing is no longer mandated but is still encouraged in public spaces at VTCSOM in order to be mindful of colleagues who may remain at increased risk;
• Mask wearing is recommended for indoor group gatherings in classrooms and meeting rooms including for meetings, classes, seminars and hosted public events;
• When visiting or transiting through Carilion Clinic facilities, Carilion Clinic guidelines for mask-wearing will apply;
• When visiting or transiting through FBRI spaces that are not shared with the medical school, FBRI guidelines for mask-wearing will apply;
• In Riverside 1 (a mixed-use Carilion building with health care clinics and administrative offices), please continue to follow Carilion Clinic’s policies for mask wearing.  Carilion Clinic guidelines currently require that masks be worn until you reach a non-clinical area.  Once you enter a VTCSOM office suite in Riverside 1, you are no longer in a clinical area.   
• Social distancing whenever possible is still recommended but it is understood that it will not always be possible such as in certain classroom or lab settings;
• When wearing masks, it is still recommended to use high quality masks such as KN95s or equivalents but surgical masks for those who find them more manageable are also acceptable;

We will continue to monitor the CDC community levels of COVID-19 in Roanoke, university guidelines and the mask-wearing guidelines that apply to Carilion Clinic buildings.

Thank you for continued vigilance and patience.

Dean Lee Learman

Addendum: March 24 regarding food

In light of mask wearing being recommended for indoor group gatherings, we have the following guidelines:

• Food brought by individuals to be shared during instructional sessions in VTCSOM facilities such as PBL will need to be eaten before the session begins or after it ends, so that people who elect to follow the mask-wearing recommendation may do so freely during the session.
• Food provided by VTCSOM for events occurring in VTCSOM facilities needs to be packaged so that individuals who elect to follow mask wearing recommendations can eat privately.

Note: people who decide to follow the mask wearing recommendation may do so for a variety of reasons including a real or perceived risk to their health or the health of their family members. Their personal decision should be supported and not questioned.