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[Graphic by Sara Mizannojehdehi]

Carleton University announced it will end its mask mandate on June 25.

In an email sent to students on June 10, the university’s COVID-19 Steering Committee lead Suzanne Blanchard said Carleton will be ending its mask mandate following new provincial and municipal guidelines. 

Despite being addressed to “all members of the Carleton community,” many students did not receive the email. In an email to the Charlatan, Carleton media relations officer Steven Reid said the email was sent to all currently registered students and the information was posted as a news item in the Carleton360 student portal.

The university will wait until June 25 to lift its mandate in order to prevent a COVID-19 outbreak during spring convocation, according to the email. Thousands of students, faculty and guests will be on campus from June 13 to 24 to celebrate the graduating classes of 2020, 2021 and 2022.

The email states the university will continue to strongly recommend masking indoors, particularly when physical distancing is not possible.

The university will continue to carefully monitor COVID-19 cases and align itself with evolving public health regulations, according to the email. 

“If pandemic circumstances were to change, the university may need to quickly reinstate the mask requirement and the vaccination policy,” the email read. 

The university has updated its mask guidance page on its website accordingly.

The announcement comes after Carleton president and vice-chancellor Benoit-Antoine Bacon told the Board of Governors a decision on mask mandates would come shortly in a meeting on June 9.

This article was last updated on June 10 to include comment from the university.

Featured graphic by Sara Mizannojehdehi.

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