COVID-19

COVID-19 Vaccination and Booster Shots

The College requires that all community members be fully vaccinated and that those who are eligible receive a booster. The only exceptions to the booster/vaccination requirement are those granted on medical or religious grounds. 

Students who have not yet verified their vaccination and/or booster should submit documentation through our patient portal by logging in and clicking on the “Upload” tab and selecting “COVID vaccine documentation” to upload the paperwork immediately.

Learn more about the vaccine and booster requirement and verification. 

Testing

Updated 8/5/22

Beginning August 15, we will transition to symptomatic testing for faculty, staff and students. Weekly surveillance testing will no longer be required.

We ask all members of the community to take responsibility for testing when they are symptomatic.

Anyone in the community who wishes to test more frequently is welcome to do so, with tests available at the Testing Center.

Testing is also recommended for anyone who is notified that they are a close contact of someone who tested positive for COVID-19 or who has traveled extensively, particularly on public transportation.

Members of the community who receive a positive test result from a self-administered antigen test should report their results to the College via the Self-Reporting Form.

If you have any questions about testing or your results, please contact covidtesting@amherst.edu.

Find more information about testing requirements.

Contact Tracing

Anyone who tests positive through Amherst’s testing program will be given instructions on how to identify and notify their close contacts. The College is no longer informing people’s close contacts for them. A person is considered a close contact if they have been within six feet of a COVID-19 positive person for 15 minutes or more during what is considered the infectious period, which starts 48 hours prior to positive diagnosis or onset of symptoms. If you are informed that you have been identified as a close contact, please consult the Contact Tracing page for details of what to do.

Isolation 

Find the latest requirements for isolation.

Masking

Amherst continues to update its mask requirements in response to the evolving impact of COVID-19. See our latest mask requirements and related information.

Capacity Limits, Events, and Building Access

Updated 8/5/22

• Buildings will return to pre-COVID schedules; residence halls will remain locked at all times, but other buildings will be unlocked during hours that they are in use and will be accessible by the public, with the exception of Val and the fitness center, which will remain open only to faculty, staff, and students until Monday, September 12.
• All campus spaces will operate at 100% capacity.  
• Visitors will be welcome at College events and will not be required to show proof of vaccination. They will be required to follow our masking protocols.
• Beginning September 12, students will be allowed to have visitors in residence halls

Hand Hygiene and Respiratory Etiquette 

All community members, regardless of vaccination status, should follow good hand hygiene. This includes washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol to clean hands BEFORE and AFTER:

• Touching your eyes, nose, or mouth
• Touching your mask
• Touching an item or surface that may be frequently touched by other people, such as door handles, tables, gas pumps, shopping carts, or electronic cashier registers/screens  

All community members, regardless of vaccination status, should follow good respiratory etiquette. This includes covering coughs and sneezes and keeping hands clean. To help stop the spread of COVID-19 and other viruses:

• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze
• Throw used tissues in the trash
• If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow, not your hands

Travel

Updated 8/5/22

Anyone who travels is encouraged to follow appropriate COVID-19 protocols and testing is recommended for anyone who has traveled extensively before coming to campus, particularly on public transportation.

STUDENTS

• Students may leave campus freely. 

FACULTY AND STAFF

• There are no restrictions on College-sponsored travel.
• Anyone traveling on College business must follow CDC guidance.

Amherst College is anticipating and responding to the impact of COVID-19. We continue to monitor the situation and are in contact with state and local public health officials, colleagues at the Five Colleges, and other relevant parties. This site is updated regularly and includes information provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other trusted sources. If you have questions, please email: covid19-info@amherst.edu