UT System drops mask and vaccine requirements again

Kelli Krebs, Knoxville News Sentinel
·1 min read

Hello and welcome to Coronavirus Watch. This is Kelli Krebs with your look at COVID-19 in Knox County and around Tennessee.

Once again, the University of Tennessee System has a new stance on mask and vaccine requirements across its five campuses.

UT System President Randy Boyd announced Wednesday that the system is once again lifting its mask requirement and suspending its vaccine mandate as the roller coaster ride over COVID-19 protocols takes another twist.

This fall, the UT System and UT Knoxville have gone back and forth regarding mask and vaccine requirements as laws changed.

The latest announcement comes after the Tennessee Comptroller's Office walked back its decision to allow the UT system, along with three other major Tennessee universities, to retain their mask or vaccine mandates — a power previously granted under the state's new sweeping ban on COVID-19 regulations.

Knox News higher education reporter Becca Wright has more on what the latest change means for faculty, staff and students.

COVID-19 in Knox County by the numbers:

  • Number of vaccinations reported among Knox County residents: 610,562

  • Percent of Knox County residents with at least one dose: 60.23%

  • People who have died: 947 (944 Nov. 30)

  • Total cases detected: 81,080 (80,896)

Source: Knox County Health Department, Dec. 1 data

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: UT System drops mask and vaccine requirements again