Masks are required for both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals indoors when inside Temple buildings, including classrooms, libraries, the TECH Center, the Student Center, common areas in residence halls, administrative spaces, and on shuttles and buses, as well as inside the Temple University Hospital facility or clinical spaces within Temple buildings.

Practicing good hygiene such as frequent hand-washing is a sound health practice. We’ve installed hand sanitizer stations throughout our campuses, along with reminders to avoid touching your face after touching surfaces.

We continue to recommend maintaining a safe distance and uncrowded conditions whenever possible.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, so too has the university’s response. With rising positivity rates, the emergence of the delta variant and the city of Philadelphia’s Aug. 13, 2021 mandate requiring full vaccination at higher education institutions, the university has implemented this update to its vaccination protocols. All students, faculty, staff and contractors must be fully vaccinated by Oct. 15, 2021. Learn more about the vaccine mandate and how to get vaccinated at Temple.

Everyone must be fully vaccinated by Oct. 15, 2021. 

• Individuals choosing the two-dose Pfizer vaccine must receive their first shot by Sept. 10 and their second by Oct. 1, to be fully vaccinated by the Oct. 15 deadline.

• Individuals choosing the two-dose Moderna vaccine must receive their first shot by Sept. 3 and their second by Oct. 1, to be fully vaccinated by the Oct. 15 deadline. 

• Individuals choosing the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine must have their shot by Oct.1, to be fully vaccinated by the Oct. 15 deadline.

Read more details about how to get vaccinated at Temple and how to upload your vaccine record.

Due to surges in delta variant COVID-19 cases, and updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH), Temple University is requiring the use of face masks for both unvaccinated and vaccinated individuals inside Temple buildings, including classrooms, libraries, the TECH Center, the Student Center, common areas in residence halls, administrative spaces, and on shuttles and buses.

Masks are not required inside rooms, suites or apartments operated by University Housing and Residential Life. Masks are required in residence hall common areas. 

Masks are not required outdoors unless it is impossible to keep a safe distance, but this guidance is subject to change to meet the safety needs of the university community. Many university activities, especially those held at the beginning of the school year, will include outdoor events where crowds may not be avoidable, therefore requiring masks.

In a change from 2020, students moving into university housing for the fall 2021 semester may have as many people as they need to help them move in. However, anyone assisting with move-in is required to wear a mask.

The Temple community can take the following steps to get fully vaccinated and inform the university that they’ve done so. Learn more about vaccines at Temple. 

• Vaccines are widely available throughout the city, the region and the country, and they are safe, effective and free. Everyone is strongly urged to get a vaccine. Students, faculty and staff can call 215-204-7500 to schedule an appointment to receive the vaccine at Student Health Services, 1700 N. Broad St., 4th floor.

• Uploading your vaccine information to Temple’s health portal is a critical step in providing information needed to effectively plan for the fall semester. If you do not upload your vaccine information, you will be considered unvaccinated by the university.

Regardless of vaccination status, masks are not necessary for an individual’s private residence, including residence hall rooms and suites, as long as all others sharing the space are at low risk of severe COVID-19 disease

Masks are not required for employees who are alone in private offices.

Small, private gatherings and visits to public indoor spaces likely represent minimal risk to fully vaccinated people. Therefore, the level of precautions taken should be determined by the presence of unvaccinated people, who remain unprotected against COVID-19.

Avoid indoor large-sized in-person gatherings, even when vaccinated. If you do attend, wear a mask, observe good hand hygiene, and do your best to maintain space between you and others.

If a Temple community member does not provide evidence of vaccination, they will be subject to enhanced weekly (or more frequent) testing. Unvaccinated individuals will also be subject to additional restrictions, such as limited opportunities for gathering in groups, activities in close quarters and university sponsored travel. Students should be aware that many university partners have implemented vaccine mandates and being unvaccinated may limit opportunities like internships, clinical placements, student teaching and even research experiences.

Vaccinated individuals are not required to participate in the university’s COVID-19 testing program. Those who have not uploaded proof of vaccination are considered unvaccinated and will be regularly tested for COVID-19.

• Unvaccinated faculty and staff coming to campus as part of their work schedule or for other purposes will be required to be tested starting July 19.

• Unvaccinated students who are returning to campus for the fall semester will be tested regularly when they arrive on campus.

Those who will be required to be tested will receive an email with more information about the testing process and how to schedule testing appointments.

The university will communicate who is required to be tested over the fall 2021 semester.

Working in cooperation with the city of Philadelphia, in March 29, 2021, Temple University began dispensing COVID-19 vaccines in limited quantities to students and employees.

 Read important information about the COVID-19 vaccine.

Temple is planning for a fall semester that is primarily in person with a substantial number of students returning to campus. The university is building a fall schedule with a broad range of in-person classes and many faculty and staff members on-site to support students.

• Not every Temple classroom will be in use as the university continues to physically distance, so we will use those classrooms that are available. Classes will be scheduled in all available time blocks, including early morning, late afternoon and evening.
• Large lecture classes are the most likely to be online. Temple has very few classrooms that can accommodate hundreds of students in a physically distanced experience, so these classes will often be held virtually. 
• As we identify additional spaces that can be safely used for in-person classes and as we monitor student registration activity, we will add more sections as needed in the coming weeks. 
• For those students needing or seeking online course options, there will be online classes available.

Learn more about the fall plans, and read the university’s announcement.

All common areas, particularly places that many people touch (such as doorknobs, elevator buttons and railings), are being cleaned with hospital-grade quaternary disinfectant A-456II, which is a product listed by the Environmental Protection Agency as protective against COVID-19. All bathrooms are cleaned and sanitized daily.

As always, if you have a health condition that supports the need for reasonable accommodation, you should contact Temple’s Office of Disability Resources and Services (DRS) for assistance at drs@temple.edu or 215-204-1280.

Yes. Temple enhanced our current campus testing and contact-tracing initiative. Our dedicated team at Student and Employee Health Services has been testing for the virus since the early days of the pandemic, and that work continues today. Read more about symptomatic and asymptomatic testing for students and staff. 

In addition, Temple announced a new 10-hour contact tracing training certification course. The Contact Tracing Training Course teaches individuals of broad skill levels how to track the spread of the COVID-19 virus. With enrollment open to all at no or low cost, hundreds have already enrolled in the training, including Temple students, health professionals and members of the public interested in fulfilling this essential role amid the current pandemic. The training is being run by Temple’s College of Public Health.

If you have personal circumstances that lead you to prefer a full or partial online course load, you should consult your academic advisor and/or academic program coordinator, who will be able to assist you.

Please note that tuition and fees are set regardless of the method of instruction and will not be refunded in the event instruction occurs remotely for all or any part of the academic year.

• Four public health pillars: Everyone must adhere to the university’s four public health pillars (use of facial coverings, frequent hand-washing, adherence to physical distancing and health monitoring).
• Testing and tracing: The university continues to test students, faculty and staff for COVID-19 on campus, and has a robust contact-tracing initiative. Student and Employee Health Services have been testing for the virus since the early days of the pandemic, and that work is continuing. Learn more about the university’s testing and tracing initiatives.
• Ongoing university-affiliated travel suspensions: Currently, all university-sponsored, connected or funded international travel by students, faculty and staff is suspended. Domestic travel for all is still strongly discouraged. This decision will be updated based on international, national, state and local guidance. The CDC advises that anyone who has recently traveled internationally should stay home and closely monitor their own health for 14 days upon return to the U.S.
• Changes to physical spaces to facilitate distancing and healthy environments: Plexiglass shields are installed in reception areas to ensure safe separation in places where distancing might be difficult, and reminders to remain at least six feet apart in public areas are affixed to floors and walls in campus buildings. Some seating was removed in public spaces to reduce density in common areas as much as possible. Hand sanitizer stations are installed in campus buildings.
• Preparations to respond to a rapidly changing situation: Responding to the coronavirus pandemic has required the university, like other institutions, to be nimble when it is necessary to preserve the health and safety of our community. The university was ready to pivot to primarily online instruction this fall.

Everyone has an important role to play in preventing the spread of the coronavirus and other respiratory illnesses. There are many simple steps everyone can take to keep themselves and others healthy. These include the following.

• Frequently wash your hands using soap and water for at least 20 seconds (the time it takes to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice).
• Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol in the absence of soap and water.
• Wear a face covering over your nose and mouth when in public places where it is difficult to maintain physical distancing from others (read tips on face coverings from the CDC).
• Adhere to physical distancing guidelines by staying at least six feet away from others in public places and avoiding parties and other large gatherings.
• Avoid touching your face, especially before washing your hands.
• Regularly clean and disinfect “high-touch” items (e.g., cell phones) and areas in your home (e.g., bathrooms, doorknobs).
• Stay home and contact your healthcare provider if you develop symptoms of illness, especially cough, shortness of breath, fever, severe fatigue, gastrointestinal issues, loss of sense of taste or smell, or muscle aches.
• Follow directives issued by the CDC as well as local and state government and health authorities.

If you are sick—especially with symptoms of cough, difficulty breathing, fever or chills, sore throat, shortness of breath, or loss of taste or smell—contact your healthcare provider, Student Health Services (215-204-7500) or Employee Health Services (215-204-2679). Be sure to tell them your symptoms and inform if you believe you may have been in contact with someone with COVID-19. They can further screen you for COVID-19 and, if needed, help you get tested and recommend the next steps you should take.

It is important to note that a positive test will not affect your standing with the university. Our main goal will always be the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff, so that you can continue to work toward your learning goals.

Pennsylvania adults and adolescents ages 12 to 17 are eligible to be vaccinated. Learn more about getting the COVID-19 vaccine in Pennsylvania.

The university is committed to carefully monitoring and responding to new information about COVID-19 and its impacts. In developing and preparing for our return scenarios, it is understood that our plans must be flexible and include contingencies for changing conditions over time. We are prepared to deviate from outlined plans in order to take swift actions to keep our community safe.

A coronavirus is a type of virus that can cause a wide range of illnesses, from the common cold to severe pneumonia. The novel coronavirus at the center of the current epidemic has been named SARS-CoV-2, and the illness it causes has been named COVID-19 (abbreviation for coronavirus disease 2019). This is a new strain of coronavirus.

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 include chills, cough, fever, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea. Symptoms and their severity vary widely from person to person, and some people infected with the virus may exhibit no symptoms at all but still be able to spread it. If you are concerned you could have the virus, consult the CDC’s symptom self-checker tool, and read more information from Student Health Services.

COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus, is mainly spread through direct contact with saliva or respiratory droplets, similar to a cold or the flu. According to the CDC, person-to-person spread of this coronavirus is most likely to occur with close contact, or contact within six feet, with an infected person who coughs, sneezes or talks, and those droplets are inhaled by someone else. Some people infected with COVID-19 do not display any symptoms but can still spread the virus.

There is currently no medication to treat or prevent coronavirus. Like many viruses, steps may be taken to manage symptoms caused by coronavirus. Those who become severely ill with the novel coronavirus may require hospitalization.

The novel coronavirus causing the current outbreak of illness has been officially named since the outbreak began. SARS-CoV-2 is the name of the virus itself, while COVID-19, which stands for coronavirus disease 2019, is the name of the illness the virus causes.

Monitoring your health means being vigilant and looking out for the development of any symptoms associated with COVID-19, which may include but are not limited to cough, shortness of breath, fever or chills, body aches, fatigue, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and congestion or a runny nose. You should check your temperature regularly to ensure you do not develop a fever, and contact a medical professional if you do develop a fever or any other symptoms. 

Quarantine is separating people who appear to be healthy but may have been exposed to a contagious illness to make sure that they do not become sick and spread the illness to others. It typically covers the “incubation period” of a given illness, which refers to the period of time between exposure and when symptoms of the illness are known to appear. 

Isolation means keeping people who are sick and contagious separated from people who are healthy to ensure that they do not spread the illness.

There are four important steps you can take to protect your health and the health of others in your household and community. Temple will also be implementing these policies as its U.S. campuses are reopened in phases throughout the summer and for the fall 2020 semester. These measures are as follows.

• Face coverings. Everyone must wear face coverings in buildings, and their use is encouraged everywhere on campus. Masks will be available for those who don’t already have them and for those visiting campus.
• Frequent hand-washing. In addition to encouraging our community members to wash their hands frequently, hand sanitizer stations will soon be installed throughout Temple’s campuses, along with reminders to avoid touching your face after touching surfaces.
• Maintaining a safe space between you and others. Physical distancing reminders will be affixed on floors and walls of campus buildings to ensure that everyone remains at a safe distance when on-campus operations resume. Classrooms and other common spaces will have similar distancing requirements.
• Monitoring your own health on a daily basis. Taking your temperature, watching for other symptoms and, if warranted, seeking help through your primary care physician or Student and Employee Health Services are important for everyone on campus. Most importantly, if you are sick, stay home and avoid contact with others to avoid spreading illness.

You should wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds (about the length of singing the “Happy Birthday” song twice). Consult this CDC page for more specific guidance on proper hand-washing and hand sanitizing techniques.