Staff and students who have been fully vaccinated and are not exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 may no longer need to quarantine after exposure to the coronavirus, the university announced in a campus-wide email on Wednesday. 

People who are fully vaccinated — meaning at least two weeks after receiving the second dose of a two-dose vaccination series or two weeks after receiving their dose of a single-dose vaccination series — and have remained asymptomatic following their exposure are not required to quarantine, the email stated.

Students, faculty, and staff who have been fully vaccinated also no longer need to fill out the university’s COVID-19 self-reporting form after coming into contact with someone who has tested positive unless they themselves become symptomatic, the email said.

“Vaccinated individuals still must follow all safety precautions including wearing a face mask and social distancing, regardless of exposure,” the email said. “If symptoms develop, vaccinated individuals must follow the isolation protocols outlined in the “What to do if you’re sick” section of the UI’s COVID-19 website”

Johnson County is currently vaccinating residents who fall under Phase 1B but the Johnson County Department of Public Health warns that limited vaccine supply means that vaccinating everyone in this phase could take weeks or even months. 

The university reported four new student cases and three new staff cases of COVID-19 since Feb. 22. This brings the total number of cases since the start of the academic year to 3,001 student cases and 441 staff cases.