COVID-19 Masking Update

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COVID-19 conditions in the United States, California, and Los Angeles continue to dramatically improve, and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced the consistent decline of important COVID-19 metrics allows for a “significant revision of required community-level infection strategies.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the California Department of Public Health, and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health have all issued updated public health guidance relaxing COVID-19 restrictions and no longer require indoor masking. 

At Pepperdine, new weekly cases have consistently fallen, and our positivity rate has remained substantially lower than Los Angeles County’s rate throughout 2022. The University has thoughtfully evaluated this changing public health guidance, reviewed University COVID-19 conditions, consulted medical and public health experts, weighed feedback from the Pepperdine community, and benchmarked with other universities. Based on this analysis, and in line with updated health guidance from the CDC, the California Department of Public Health, and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, beginning Monday, March 7, 2022, masks will be optional indoors for all members of the Pepperdine University community at Southern California campuses, regardless of vaccination status. Masks are still required while on University shuttles, in healthcare settings, and through day 10 of isolation or quarantine, and Los Angeles County Department of Public Health strongly encourages wearing masks while indoors.

Pepperdine respects individual choice based on personal preference or need and seeks to honor those who are ready to remove their masks, those who cannot remove their masks, and those who are not yet prepared to do so. The University encourages all who wish to continue wearing masks to do so, and will continue to provide medical-grade masks for free. 

At this time, all other University COVID-19 infection control measures remain in place, including weekly testing, daily wellness checks, case and exposure notifications through the START Form, contact tracing, isolation and quarantine, enhanced ventilation measures, and vaccination clinics. The University will continue its evaluation of COVID-19 conditions, evolving public health guidance, and its own infection control measures and policies developed in support of COVID-19 impacted members of the community. Pending further evaluation, any changes to weekly testing would be implemented no earlier than Monday, March 21. If testing requirements for the University community are lifted, optional testing will remain available.

If you have any questions, please contact the University’s COVID-19 information line at 310.506.8111 or covid19info@pepperdine.edu.

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