UConn mandates Covid vaccinations for workforce

University of Connecticut interim President Andrew Agwunobi has announced that all current and new employees of the school must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 by Oct. 15.

“As you are aware, at the University of Connecticut and UConn Health, our primary goal during this pandemic is to keep all employees, students, and patients safe,” said Agwunobi in a letter to the UConn workforce.

“This is particularly important given the rise of the Delta variant and the upcoming start of in-person classes.”

The new mandate expands a previous mandate that requires all UConn students to be fully vaccinated prior to participating in the school”™s in-person activities. UConn employees who receive exemptions from being vaccinated based on medical or religious concerns will be required to be tested for Covid on a weekly basis. 

UConn”™s new rule follows an announcement by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that placed Fairfield County in the “high transmission” Covid category.

Fairfield is the fifth county in the state to be upgraded to the category, following New Haven, Hartford, New London and Middlesex Counties; the other three Connecticut counties are classified in the “substantial transmission” category.