In an email to postgraduate research students, Charlie Jeffery announced the University’s approach to COVID-19 regulations following the general relaxing of rules on July 19.
Whilst stating that they cannot mandate the wearing of face masks, the new policy states that doing so is strongly recommended, especially in public places and indoor spaces.
The Vice Chancellor emphasised that “there are circumstances where continuing to wear one is appropriate, and we expect everyone to be supportive and respectful of others’ preferences.”
However, he repeated and stressed the Department for Education’s statement that “no student will be denied access to education on the grounds of whether they are, or are not, wearing a face mask.”
Included in the email was the announcement that the library will still require booking for the foreseeable future, since the Departments and Estates Team will “need time to reconfigure the spaces”.
There was additional confirmation that the University plans for “in-person teaching to resume for all subjects from September”, as well as reassurance that they appreciate the “need to continue online teaching for international students unable yet to travel to York.”