University Of New Mexico To Lift Indoor Mask Mandate

ALBUQUERQUE, NM — The University of New Mexico plans to lift its indoor mask mandate late next week amid declining COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations across the state.

The university said in a news release Tuesday that it would lift the indoor mask mandate Saturday, March 19, a day after the state's public health order expires.

The mask mandate will be lifted for campuses in counties with low or medium COVID-19 community level, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This means face masks will be optional in classrooms, labs, studios, libraries, residence halls, dining facilities the Student Union Building, Johnson Recreation Center, offices, conference rooms and extracurricular activities held in indoor on-campus spaces.

Masks will still be required at health care and related health sciences settings, as well as on public transportation. Masks will continue to be worn in the north campus Health Sciences Center's academic and research facilities, as well as at the HSC Rio Rancho campus.

The university's Gallup campus must still wear a mask indoors as McKinley County remains at high COVID-19 community level.

A public, four-year university, the University of New Mexico has about 13,200 undergraduate students and 4,600 graduate students at its Albuquerque campus this spring semester.

Garnett Stokes, president of the university, said in a campuswide email that its campus has remained aligned with health guidance provided by the CDC, the state Department of Health, local public health authorities and its own medical experts.

“The University continues to make decisions guided by expert advice, while ensuring that members of our community have the resources they need to protect themselves and those around them," Stokes said.

Several important university COVID-19 policies remain in place:

• Full vaccination is still required, including the booster when eligible, unless there's an approved exemption.
• People who are exempt from the vaccination requirement for religious or medical reasons must continue to test weekly for COVID-19 and report results.
• People who are sick with, test positive for, or are exposed to COVID-19 should refer to CDC guidance and stay home if they are sick.
• Special COVID-19 leave remains available.

The university supports people who choose to continue wearing masks, Stokes said, and the university will continue to make them available at no charge.

“Recognizing that lifting the masking requirement may cause anxiety for some, I would ask that we are all especially mindful of the importance of respecting the choices of our students and colleagues and treating each other with continued kindness and support," she said.

Stokes added: "Unvaccinated or un-boosted individuals are still strongly encouraged by the University to continue masking while inside UNM facilities, and to get vaccinated as soon as possible.