COVID-19 Prevention: Campus Facilities

All UB students, faculty, staff and visitors are required to wear a face covering at all times when inside all UB buildings, classrooms, labs and facilities, or in outdoor spaces.

Even when social distancing is possible, face coverings must be worn at all times when in public spaces – indoors or outdoors on UB’s campuses – because the risk of infection still exists at distances greater than six feet.

All passengers on UB buses and shuttles are required to wear a face mask at all times. UB Stampede and shuttle drivers and passengers are required to wear face coverings at all times.

Within on-campus dining facilities, individuals should wear face masks until seated at least six feet apart from another individual, and then may remove their masks by necessity when actively eating or drinking. However, we strongly encourage mask usage inside the dining area when not actively eating and drinking. Masks must be worn when entering and exiting the dining area.

The university will provide one reusable face covering to all students, faculty and staff at no cost.  Individuals may choose to wear their own appropriate face covering if desired, provided it meets the criteria for an appropriate face covering.

• Face shields will be provided if there is a medical reason a person cannot wear a mask.
• Additional face coverings will be available on campus.

The university will provide training to students, faculty and staff on how to adequately put on, take off, clean (as applicable) and discard face coverings, per the recommendations of the CDC.

Face shields will be provided if there is a medical reason a person cannot wear a mask.

At UB, only individuals with a physician’s authorization will be considered for an exemption to our campus mandate to always wear a face mask.

Most healthcare providers, researchers and infectious disease experts agree that there are few medical conditions prevent someone from wearing a mask. While there are some legitimate cases where it could be prohibitive, in general, if someone is well enough to be out in public, they are likely well enough to wear some kind of face covering. If you feel you have a legitimate reason to be exempt from UB’s mandatory face mask guideline, please contact Human Resources for instruction. A physican’s note will be required.

Masks are not air tight. Oxygen and carbon dioxide molecules are small enough to easily pass through a face covering. If masks made it impossible to breathe, then any surgeon, any nurse, any lab technician, any person who works in a job that requires them to wear a mask would be passing out.

No. Face masks and social distancing work together to protect us from infection. If you wear a face mask on campus, thank you. But you must also maintain a safe (6 foot) physical distance from others.

Striking a balance between individual liberty and collective safety is a challenge. Your individual concerns should be weighed against the need of the UB community to mitigate spread of the virus. Wearing a mask is a minimal sacrifice to protect us all. Further, many members of our community view it as a violation of their human rights to be exposed to potential infection from those who will not wear face masks. Like face masks, seat belts don’t guarantee your safety, but give you much better odds of surviving an accident or avoiding more serious injury. One big difference: Masks also help protect other people.

Thicker, more densely woven cotton fabrics are best, such as quilting cotton or cotton sheets.

Stretchy knits aren’t ideal.

Hold the fabric up to the light: The fewer tiny holes you can see, the better it will work to filter droplets.

Overall, making a good mask involves finding a balance: You want fabric that doesn’t allow droplets to pass through while ensuring you can still breathe properly with your mask in place.

• Look for masks made with at least 2 layers of fabric.
• It should cover your nose and mouth without large gaps.
• The mask should have ear loops or ties so you can adjust it.
• For people who wear glasses, look for a mask with a bendable border at the top so you can mold the mask to fit the bridge of your nose and prevent your glasses from fogging.
• Professional masks should be reserved for health care workers on the front lines caring for patients.

A protective face mask is meant to fit snug around your face. Additionally, it should be at least two-ply cloth. If your niqab, scarf or veil drapes and does not fit snugly, or if it is made of chiffon, georgette or other thin fabric, you should wear a face mask. If the fabric is thick enough, you can always pin your niqab or scarf to tighten it around your nose and mouth.

Look for cloth face masks that tie behind your head.

Affix buttons or other fixture to the outside of your head covering and loop your ear loops around them to hold your face mask in place.

Use an extender with your cloth face mask. It will allow masks with ear loops to be clasped behind the head. There are many do-it-yourself ideas on the web.

All campus visitors, including vendors and contractors, are required to abide by UB’s health and safety guidelines, including wearing face masks on UB campuses. Some construction or trade workers on campus, however, are bound by requirements (New York state or OSHA) that may differ somewhat from UB’s health and safety guidelines. Construction work should always be taking place in areas fenced off from the general campus population. Within those fenced off areas, workers are required to abide by New York state and OSHA COVID-19 guidelines. As soon as those workers leave the fenced work area, however, they are required to follow UB health and safety guidelines, including wearing face masks at all times.

If you notice construction or trade workers outside their work area who are not wearing face masks, please contact Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S).

The university has provided one reusable face covering to each student, faculty and staff member at no cost. The university recommends that individuals bring additional face coverings to ensure you always have a clean one on hand. Anyone can purchase a face mask at the following locations:

Retail locations:

• The Elli (Ellicott Complex)
• Teddy’s (Governors) 
• Campus Tees (Student Union)

Vending machines (disposable masks):

• Clement Hall
• Ellicott Food Court South (by Perks)
• Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences 
• Knox Lecture Hall
• Main Street Market (South Campus)
• Natural Science Building
• Student Union (second floor)

Employees:

Reusable face masks have been delivered by Campus Mail to all UB units for distribution to their faculty and staff. If you did not receive yours, please check with your supervisor or Unit Business Officer (UBO). Additional face masks are available for purchase on campus.

Units wishing to purchase additional face masks in bulk should work directly with UB Purchasing.

Students:  

• On-Campus resident: Campus Living will be distributing masks to on-campus residents
• Graduate students: Graduate programs will be distributing masks to students in the following schools:
  • School of Dental Medicine
  • School of Law
  • School of Social Work
  • Students, learn more about where to get face masks on the UB Student Guide web page.

After the start of the semester (week of 8/31/2020): Students can receive one mask at no cost from the following locations:

• Welcome tents/tables on campus (August 28-September 4)
• In front of the Student Union
• Founder’s Plaza outside of Capen Hall
• Near the Main Circle on South Campus
• Student Union Welcome Center inside
• 1 Capen
• 1 Diefendorf (South Campus)
• Buses and shuttles on campus
• Libraries