Messages to the Community

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement for Visitors

October 18, 2021

Dear Members of the Georgetown University Community,

As part of Georgetown’s layered approach to protecting the health and safety of our community, and in recognition that with the colder weather more events will be held inside, we are introducing a new protocol for visitors. Visitors to University-owned or operated buildings in Washington, DC, and Maryland must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or attest to having a medical or religious exemption. Beginning Monday, October 25, visitors will need to follow the University’s protocol for verifying their vaccination status, which is outlined below, and complete a health attestation on the morning of their visit to attest that they are symptom-free. Visitors will also need to continue to comply with all other University public health guidelines, including wearing a mask indoors.

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement

This new protocol applies to anyone visiting University-owned or operated buildings for a class, meeting or event who is not already subject to the University’s COVID-19 vaccination requirement for students, faculty, staff and contractors who work regularly on campus.

Examples of individuals who fall under this new requirement include:

  • Event/meeting attendees,
  • Guest speakers or panelists in academic classes or programs or other events,
  • Visiting research scholars, 
  • Family members and friends of Georgetown community members,
  • Prospective students and their families,
  • Alumni, and
  • Contractors and vendors who do not work regularly on campus.

However, there are a few exceptions to this protocol, including:

  • Visitors attending an event that will be entirely outdoors (such as athletic games held at Cooper Field and Shaw Field),
  • Study participants visiting Georgetown for research purposes,
  • Clients of Law Center clinics,
  • Delivery drivers, and
  • Visitors entering a public University-owned or operated building for a short period of time (e.g., to use the restroom, or go to the bookstore or dining locations in the Leavey Center).

Yates Field House, the Scott K. Ginsburg Sport & Fitness Center and all Georgetown University libraries will continue to be closed to external community members and guests through at least December 2021. Access to Main Campus residential buildings will continue to be limited to Georgetown students and employees at this time.

Visitor Registration Process

Students, faculty and staff hosting visitors will need to follow the protocol below:

    1. Create an event/meeting record through the University’s visitor registration portal. This step should be completed as soon as an event or meeting is confirmed to allow visitors as much time as possible to upload vaccination documentation or attest to a medical or religious exemption. The portal is live now, and all visitors for events or meetings occurring on or after Monday, October 25, will need to follow this process.
    2. Send your visitor(s) the unique URL (i.e., web link) for your event/meeting and instructions on how to submit their vaccination documentation, which you will receive via email after you create an event/meeting record in the portal.
    3. Your visitor(s) will then use the URL to upload their vaccination documentation or attest to having a medical or religious exemption.
      • Visitors who attest to having an exemption or who are under the age of 12 will need to take a COVID-19 PCR test within 72 hours prior to their visit and provide their negative test results to the University.
      • Please note that our academic campuses may have differing policies regarding allowing visitors under the age or 12. Please check with your campus or unit head to confirm if visitors under the age of 12 are allowed in your area.
    4. Your visitor(s) will receive an email with their health attestation the morning of your event/meeting and must complete it before their visit.
      • If they are symptom free, they will receive an email confirming they are approved to visit Georgetown.
      • If they indicate they have symptoms or do not submit their negative test results (if they attested to having an exemption), they will receive an email stating that they are not permitted to visit Georgetown. 
    5. Make sure your visitor(s) have been approved to visit Georgetown in one of the following ways:
      • Reviewing the list in the event-specific Box folder you will be given access to when you create your event/meeting record. This list will show you whether your visitor(s) have completed the necessary steps to visit campus, but will not show personal information about them such as their vaccination documentation.
      • Before providing access to a University-owned or operated building, ask to see your visitor’s confirmation email when they arrive for your event.

For more information, please visit the University’s Event and Visitor Guidelines page and these frequently asked questions.

Thank you for your continued commitment to keeping our community safe and healthy.

Sincerely,

David B. Green, Interim Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Robert M. Groves, Provost

Edward B. Healton, Executive Vice President for Health Sciences

William M. Treanor, Executive Vice President and Dean of the Law Center

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