MCC Daily Tribune

Mask or Not to Mask?

Please note: This article was updated on August 12 to reflect the most recent guidance.

Dear MCC Students, Faculty and Staff,

On August 12, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) categorized Monroe County as an area of “high transmission” of COVID-19 and its variants.

Due to the increase in cases, the Monroe County Department of Public Health has restored the indoor mask policy.

As of Monday, August 9, MCC will require students, employees and visitors—regardless of vaccination status—to wear masks when inside college buildings until further notice.

MCC reinstated mask wearing in response to emergence of Delta variant COVID-19 cases in the Rochester area, and in accordance with updated Monroe County and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations for wearing face masks indoors. It is a temporary safety measure until COVID-19 transmission rates decline in Monroe County and in order to keep MCC’s on-campus positivity rate low.

Fully vaccinated students, faculty, and staff who are alone and not in a public or shared space may unmask.
Any in-person meetings or group activities in conference rooms or other indoor spaces should be conducted with everyone being masked—regardless of vaccination status.
When outdoors, everyone who is not fully vaccinated should wear a face mask on campus when physical distancing isn’t possible.

Masks are available at various locations on campuses and at the Applied Technologies Center. Face shields will be provided to those with qualifying medical accommodations:

Employees needing accommodations should contact Human Resources.
Students needing accommodations should contact Counseling and Disability Services.

If you have questions, please send them to covid19response@monroecc.edu. For the latest information, please refer to our Coronavirus Updates & Resources web pages.

Thank you for doing your part to protect yourself and those around you.

DeAnna Burt-Nanna
Office of the President
08/06/2021