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COVID-19 Prevention: Campus Facilities
UB has put the following protocols in place to protect your safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.
For specific concerns please call (24 hours a day):
UB University Facilities Customer Services
716-645-2025
Face Masks
Updated 9/29/22
The use of face coverings is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Masks are optional on UB’s campuses in most settings:
- Students, faculty, staff and visitors, regardless of vaccination status, will no longer be required to wear masks in most settings, indoors or outdoors.
- Anyone who wishes to continue wearing a mask in a classroom, office or any other campus space is encouraged to do so.
- Clinical health care settings: Masks may be required in certain clinical health care settings on campus, such as dental school facilities. Please review the requirements of the health care setting prior to your visit.
- Student Health Services: Masks are no longer required within the Student Health Services facility EXCEPT
- if you have any symptoms of a respiratory infection including cough, runny nose, sneezing, throat pain, fever, body aches, headache OR
- if you have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past 10 days OR
- if you have had close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past 10 days
- Buses and Shuttles: Masks are not required on most buses and shuttles. Masks are no longer required within the Student Health Services Shuttle EXCEPT:
- if you have any symptoms of a respiratory infection including cough, runny nose, sneezing, throat pain, fever, body aches, headache OR
- if you have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past 10 days OR
- if you have had close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past 10 days.
- Shuttle operators will continue to have a supply of masks on hand in case a passenger fails to bring one and has a need.
- if you have any symptoms of a respiratory infection including cough, runny nose, sneezing, throat pain, fever, body aches, headache OR
- UB faculty, staff and students who work or learn at hospitals, nursing homes, clinics or diagnostic and treatment centers off campus must continue to comply with any site-specific regulations in place.
Remember: There are many reasons that individuals may continue to wear a mask, including those who are:
- Unvaccinated
- Immunocompromised
- Living with someone at higher risk
Please be kind and respectful toward others in our UB community.
Faculty and academic support staff, see Guidance for faculty and academic support staff.
Please note that universal masking is dependent on CDC-reported community transmission rates, and may be reinstated if Erie County experiences a sustained increase in the number of new cases and/or if masking is otherwise recommended by public health authorities. Masks have been a highly effective strategy at reducing the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses.
- Choose a face mask that is made of multiple layers of cloth with a nose wire, that fits snugly.
- Wear a mask correctly and consistently for the best protection.
- Be sure to wash your hands or use hand sanitizer before putting on a mask. Do NOT touch the mask when wearing it. If you have to touch/adjust your mask frequently, it doesn’t fit you properly, and you may need to find a different mask or make adjustments.
- In cold weather, wear your scarf over your mask. (Scarves, ski masks and balaclavas are not substitutes for masks).
There are many types of masks you can use to protect yourself and others from getting and spreading COVID-19. The best, most readily available face mask is made of multiple-layers of cloth with a nose wire, that fits snugly.
Face masks are dangerous because they restrict oxygen and expose me to dangerous levels of carbon dioxide from my exhalations.
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.
Wearing a face mask impinges on my individual freedom.
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.
- Wear a mask correctly and consistently for the best protection.
- Be sure to wash your hands or use hand sanitizer before putting on a mask.
- Do NOT touch the mask when wearing it. If you have to touch/adjust your mask frequently, it doesn’t fit you properly, and you may need to find a different mask or make adjustments.
- In cold weather, wear your scarf over your mask. (Scarves, ski masks and balaclavas are not substitutes for masks).
- Keep your mask clean
Put On Your Face Mask
- Wash your hands before putting on your face covering
- Put it over your nose and mouth and secure it under your chin
- Try to fit it snugly against the sides of your face
- Make sure you can breathe easily
- Wear eyeglasses outside of the mask, above or resting on the face covering.
- To limit fogging, wash your glasses with soapy water, shaking off excess prior to wearing.
Take Off Your Cloth Face Covering
- Do not touch the outside of the mask when taking it off. Remove it by the straps.
- Untie the strings behind your head or stretch the ear loops.
- Fold outside corners together
- Place covering in the washing machine (learn more about how to wash cloth face coverings).
- Be careful not to touch your eyes, nose, and mouth when removing and wash hands immediately after removing
Wearing Face Masks With Religious or Cultural Head Coverings
If you wear a cultural or religious head covering, such as a hijab, niqab, or turban, you are required to wear a cloth face mask, too.
In general, most cultural or religious head coverings either do not cover the face or do not fit snugly enough around the face to provide sufficient protection against COVID-19. Additionally, most head coverings that extend over the face are made of fabric too light and porous to offer protection.
Hijabs, Turbans, Tichels
Wearers of hijabs, turbans, tichels and head coverings like them that do not cover the face, must also wear a cloth face mask.
A standard cloth face mask can be tucked inside your veil or turban, behind your ears.
If you prefer to wear your face mask outside your head covering, consider attaching face mask extensions or buttons so you can attach ear loops.
Niqabs
Niqabs (niqaabs) and headcoverings like it do not provide sufficient protection against COVID-19 because they are not worn snugly against the face, are not air tight and are usually made of chiffon or other lightweight fabrics. For these reasons they do not effectively block your own respiratory emissions.
The CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings that are at least 2 plies thick.
For these reasons, wearers of niqabs and coverings like it are required to wear a face mask.
Source: University Facilities
Physical Distancing
In addition to wearing a mask, physical distancing (also known as social distancing) is highly recommended by the CDC. To promote physical distancing, when necessary the university will modify or restrict use of spaces (including classrooms) where people tend to congregate, so people can stay at least 6 feet apart in all directions.
- Physical distancing is not required for vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals indoors or outdoors on UB campuses.
- Unvaccinated persons are encouraged to observe physical distancing wherever practical.
Updated 6/23/21
Campus health science and clinical teaching laboratories may continue to operate without the 6-foot distancing normally required in a classroom. Masks, however, must be worn, regardless of whether individuals have been vaccinated or not.
Here are some tips for maintaining safe physical distance on buses and shuttles:
- Stay 6 feet away from other passengers while waiting for, boarding or disembarking the bus or shuttle
- Choose a seat that will put physical distance between you and other passengers.
- Some seats may be blocked off to create safe distances between passengers. When necessary, we may need to limit the number of passengers on buses or shuttles.
- Use hand sanitizer before and after touching surfaces. Wash hands thoroughly before and after riding.
- Open windows (when feasible) to improve ventilation.
- Learn about social distancing protocols in these campus spaces.
- Campus Housing
- Libraries
- Dining Facilities
- Student Union
- Labs and Research Facilities
- Touchdown Spaces: Several centrally scheduled classrooms may be made available (when not in use for instruction) for use as touchdown spaces. Spaces may be added throughout the semester depending on student need and campus health and safety.
Updated 3/30/2022
Meetings
- In-person meetings are permitted.
- Individuals in meetings should be allowed the option to wear a face mask if desired.
Updated 3/2/22
Updated 3/2/22
Allow Extra Time
Enabling safe physical distancing in high-traffic service areas will necessitate some longer wait times. When physical distancing protocols are active, please allow extra time to travel around campus.