Masking Guidance and Policies for UCSF Facilities

The information on this page is for UCSF faculty, staff and learners and UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals faculty. For patient information, visit UCSF Health’s COVID-19 Information for Patients & Visitors or COVID-19 Vaccines at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals websites.

Updated May 1, 2024

New UCSF Masking Guidance

As of May 1 at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland and May 6 at UCSF West Bay campuses, face masks are now optional in all areas of the University. UCSF Fresno should follow its current local and institutional policies for masking.
Face masks are required only in areas where patient care is delivered during the following time periods:
- During every respiratory viral season, from November 1 to April 30 and
- During sustained periods of high community transmission of respiratory viruses, such as COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza
Masking requirements in classroom meetings for credit-bearing courses that are part of the curriculum within any of the schools is at the deans' discretion.
Please respect and support everyone's individual decisions, including those who choose to continue to wear a mask.
Wearing a mask helps protect others in our community who may be immunocompromised or at greater risk for serious illness.
Masks differ in the degree of protection they provide. N-95 respirators provide the highest level of protection, followed by K-95, surgical masks, and Cal OSHA-accepted cloth masks.

Masking is optional in all of the following locations:

Outdoors
Indoors
Elevators
Shuttles & Shuttle Stops
Break spaces with food and beverage
Dining areas and cafeterias
Childcare
Classrooms (at the discretion of dean of the school)
Patient care spaces, except during respiratory viral season from November 1 to April 30 and during sustained periods of high community transmissions of respiratory virus.

For more information, view the FAQs for UCSF Health Masking Guidance <link coming soon>.