This page covers the following topics:
- Masking requirements on campus
- Recommended types of masks
- Where to get masks on campus
- Can I change the masking requirements?
Masking on campus
Indoors
Wearing a well-fitting, highly protective face mask is still an effective and recommended precautionary measure against COVID-19, especially when indoors and in crowded areas.
Masking remains mandatory in certain UCLA health care settings, including patient care and waiting areas at the Arthur Ashe Health & Wellness Center, the David Geffen School of Medicine and the School of Dentistry, as well as those of of the Community Health Sciences building, the Factor Health Sciences building, the Gonda (Goldschmied) Neuroscience and Genetics Research Center and the MacDonald Medical Research Laboratories building.
Masks are not required in these building’s main lobbies, offices, conference rooms or other areas outside of patient care units.
Isolation and quarantine exemptions
Per UCLA’s isolation and quarantine protocol and LACDPH guidelines, if you are isolating, you must wear a highly protective mask during your isolation period if you will be around others, including those you live with. If you are able to end your isolation period early:
- Students: Students released from isolation on or after Day 5 must wear a mask around others through Day 10, but they may discontinue masking sooner if they have two negative COVID-19 tests in a row taken at least one day apart before Day 10.
- Faculty and staff: It is required by Cal/OSHA that employees who return to work following early release from isolation wear a highly protective mask in the workplace through Day 10.
If you have been in close contact with an infected person but are asymptomatic, you do not need to quarantine. However, it is strongly recommended that you wear a highly protective mask around other people — especially those who are at high risk of severe illness — until 10 days have passed since your initial exposure.
Travel and public transit
Masks are strongly recommended by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on public transportation and at transportation hubs.
Outdoors
Masks are optional outdoors.
Recommended types of masks
Well-fitting masks recommended for use by students and employees:
- Medical-grade surgical masks
- KN95s
- KF94s
- N95s or other respirators approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
For more on masks and respirators, including how to properly wear them, visit the CDC’s mask page and the LACDPH’s mask page.
Where to get masks on campus
The following locations currently provide free masks to students and employees:
- UCLA PPE Store
- John Wooden Center
- Ackerman Union’s A-level information window
- UCLA residence hall front desks
Can I change requirements in my classroom or department?
Faculty, staff and students are are not permitted to create masking requirements for offices, classrooms or other campus spaces that deviate from current UCLA protocols. These protocols need to be applied consistently and equitably across all campus entities.
