URI Extends COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement To Faculty, Staff

KINGSTON, RI — The University of Rhode Island extended its COVID-19 vaccine mandate to include all faculty and staff, the university announced Thursday. All employees must show proof of vaccination or obtain a valid exemption by Oct. 15.

The decision was made "as part of our continuing efforts to protect the health and safety of the URI community and public health more broadly," the school said in a statement. "The vaccines are widely available, safe, greatly limit the transmission of the virus, and have been shown to dramatically reduce the chances of serious illness and/or death related to a COVID-19 infection."

The policy applies to all full- and part-time faculty and non-classified staff. Univeristy-employed health care workers must show proof of vaccination by Oct. 1, following state policy.

The university announced in May that all students would need to show proof of vaccination by August to return to campus in the fall. In mid-August, the school implemented a mandatory indoor mask policy, regardless of vaccine status.

According to URI, more than 94 percent of students have received at least one vaccine dose, while 6 percent recevied an approved exemption.

The university is holding free vaccination clinics on campus through the end of September.