WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (WAVY) — The College of William & Mary will require all students, faculty, and staff to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 ahead of the fall 2021 semester.
W&M Chief Operating Officer and COVID-19 Director Amy Sebring released the latest guidelines Tuesday morning stating that the college will require all students, faculty, and staff to be fully vaccinated upon their return.
“All students, faculty, and staff intending to participate in in-person activities in Fall 2021 must provide proof of their FDA-approved EUA vaccination status by July 15, 2021.”
W&M administrators assured that “appropriate” religious and health exemptions will be taken into consideration.
Those who do not provide proof of full vaccination will be required to be tested prior to their arrival at the campus and will be required to be tested at least once a week.
Report vaccination status and provide proof of vaccination
- To provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination, upload photos of the vaccination card you received when you were administered the vaccine. Kallaco Health & Technology has introduced the ability to upload proof in the Kallaco portal.
- If you do not have a Kallaco account, create one by choosing “Forgot Password,” and do not use your W&M password.
- Visit the Record section in Kallaco and follow the prompts to upload a photo of your vaccination card. Complete this upload process for each vaccine dose on your card.
Pre-arrival testing for those not vaccinated
- Students who have not received a vaccination approved by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) will be required to present a negative COVID-19 PCR test administered within 72 hours prior to moving into on-campus housing or participating in any on-campus activities.
- Students and visiting scholars who have not received an FDA-approved vaccination and whose travel schedule will make it difficult to meet the above timeline will be asked to test negative for COVID-19 in the 2-3 days before they begin their travel and again when they arrive at campus. No quarantine is anticipated for international students and scholars as long as they test negative.
- All students will undergo additional COVID-19 testing until fully vaccinated.
Administrators say they are requiring vaccination because the campus is will be predominantly in-person in the upcoming academic year.
“We will reconsider indoor masking requirements at William & Mary after July 15 when we understand the vaccination rates in this community.”
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced on May 14 that he was lifting the universal mask mandate starting that night at midnight, following new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
W&M officials say they will not require masks outdoors as of May 18, however, they support anyone who wishes to wear one. Masks will still be required indoors.