COVID-19 UpdatesNovember 30, 2021
The University is monitoring developments from the COVID-19 Omicron variant. As of now, there has not been a confirmed case of the Omicron variant in the United States. Experts believe that it is already here, however, and we are seeing increased transmission of COVID-19 across the country, including the Delta variant. An increase was anticipated with the onset of winter and is among the reasons why it is important that we continue to take steps to protect ourselves, our colleagues, and loved ones. The University issued the following guidance, which the Program in Islamic Law adopts:
Vaccination: The best weapon against the coronavirus, including the Omicron variant, continues to be vaccination. We strongly encourage boosters for everyone who is eligible. For more information on scheduling your vaccination or booster, visit the University’s vaccine webpage.
Healthy Habits Matter: Your commitment to Keep Harvard Healthy has kept transmission of the coronavirus on campus low throughout this semester. Continue to wear your mask properly indoors and outdoors in crowds; be thoughtful when socializing, including minimizing contact and eating and drinking safely; and if you feel sick, stay home and report your symptoms to Harvard University Health Services (HUHS) through Crimson Clear.
Post-Travel Protocols and Testing Cadences: With many of us returning from Thanksgiving break travel, it’s important to follow post-travel protocols, including testing on your first day back on campus and adhering to your required testing cadence going forward.
Additionally, all PIL events are remote/virtual this year, and thus will not be accommodating visitors not already part of the Harvard faculty, staff, student community.
October 29, 2021
The University recently updated their COVID-19 travel guidance, which we at the Program in Islamic Law will be following. Additionally, all PIL events are remote/virtual this year, and thus will not be accommodating visitors not already part of the Harvard faculty, staff, student community. Below is a summary of the university’s updated guidance:
Fully vaccinated: You may travel within the United States and internationally without a petition. You must attest you are fully vaccinated and complete the COVID-19 travel requirements before, during, and after travel.
Not fully vaccinated: You must continue to petition for approval to travel within the United States or internationally.
International travel: Regardless of vaccination status, if you are traveling internationally, you must register all Harvard-related international travel with International SOS, the University’s emergency response provider.
September 23, 2021
After months of intense planning and preparation for our return to campus amid the COVID-19 pandemic, we are now a few weeks into the the semester and all is fine. We’ve had our first events online, which brought together members of our global community, with many more lined up for the months ahead. Our faculty, fellows, and students have returned to campus and in-person classes are now underway. Vaccination, testing, tracing, and masking have been central to our return to campus, helping provide safe classroom, research, and workplace environments. We will continue these measures, as outlined by the university, as we continue to navigate this semester as a community.
In an effort to meet a spike in demand for test processing across the University occasioned by the beginning of the new semester, HLS and several other Harvard schools are temporarily switching test kits so that they can utilize the Broad Institute as a secondary lab. Broad Institute testing kits will soon be delivered to, and available at, all previous test kit pick-up locations.
The only effect on you of this change will be a slightly different swabbing process that will be clearly explained in the test kit. Please follow the instructions included in whichever test kit you are using – whether that is the new Broad Institute test kit or the HUCL test kit as both kits will be available for a period of time.
If you have questions about test kits or your testing cadence, please email your questions to the following:
For faculty and staff: [email protected]
For students: [email protected]
August 20, 2021
HLS recently announced their updated policies and FAQs related to our return to campus. These policies outlined the steps we need to take in returning to campus, which we at the Program in Islamic Law will be following. This is all outlined here on this return to campus checklist, as well as summarized below:
Before you come to campus:
Verify your vaccination status with Harvard University Health Services immediately, if you have not already done so.
Review the COVID-19 Safety Awareness Training.
Take the Self-Administration of COVID-19 Test training.
Your first day on campus:
Remember to bring your University-approved face covering/mask and please wear it securely over your nose and mouth when and where required.
Bring your Harvard University ID (HUID). Access to HLS buildings will be limited to HLS and University community members using HUIDs (and their guests under the official visitor policy).
Create your Color account, which will be used for COVID-19 testing.
Take your first COVID-19 test (more details here on the return to campus checklist).
Once you have returned to campus:
Check your Color test results when available and confirm that your last test was negative.
If you are feeling symptomatic, complete the Crimson Clear Health Attestation and follow the instructions provided.
Wear a University-approved face covering/maskindoors at all times (except when eating in designated areas).
Continue testing at your assigned cadence (once per week for vaccinated individuals, twice per week for unvaccinated individuals with an approved exemption).
Follow good hygiene practices and any University or HLS specific safety requirements.
Much more detail and additional information is available here on the HLS return to campus webpage, including FAQs for faculty and staff. Even more material is available here on the University’s Keeping Harvard Healthy site.
August 18, 2021
All faculty, fellows, and staff at the Program in Islamic Law will be following Harvard University Health Services’ guidance as we navigate our upcoming return to campus amid the evolving public health situation, including the potential impact of the COVID-19 Delta variant.
Harvard University President, Lawrence S. Bacow, recently issued a statement about the COVID-19 pandemic and our upcoming return to campus. In the statement, he outlines the following guidelines:
Vaccination - Campus-wide vaccination is the best weapon against the coronavirus, including the highly contagious Delta variant. Currently, the vaccination rate for University employees is 93% and for students is 87%. The University will provide updates on vaccination rates on the University’s COVID Dashboard in the coming weeks as we begin the fall semester. Some members of our community will not have access to vaccine until they arrive on campus. They will be able to receive vaccine through Harvard University Health Services (HUHS) upon arrival. All members of our community must verify their vaccination through the university.
Testing - COVID-19 testing requirements remain in place for every member of the community who is authorized to be on campus, including those who come to campus infrequently. Regular testing will help reduce the spread of the coronavirus on and off campus, help us avoid severe illness in high-risk community members, and limit further mutation of the virus.
Masking - Masks are highly effective at limiting spread of the coronavirus. The University’s indoor mask requirement remains in place, regardless of vaccination status.
If You Feel Sick, Stay Home - Stay home if you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. Use Crimson Clear to inform us if you are experiencing symptoms, have tested positive outside of the University’s testing program or HUHS, or have a known COVID-19 exposure.
Over the last 18 months, our community has taken steps with two priorities in mind: first, safeguarding the health and safety of our community, and second, ensuring that teaching, learning, and research continue at the highest levels of excellence. As we embark on the fall 2021 semester, we can continue to Keep Harvard Healthy together. Please take a few minutes to visit the University’s Return to Campus webpage, which offers checklists, FAQs, and links to resources.
August 13, 2021
We at the Program in Islamic Law will be following Harvard University Health Services’ guidance as we navigate our upcoming return to campus amid the evolving public health situation.
Harvard Law School has published extensive new policy guidance and FAQs for students, faculty and staff, on its main Return to Campus webpage. This information covers areas ranging from detailed building access for HLS and Harvard University community members, as well as the procedures necessary for inviting visitors, to the public health requirements that must be followed in our classrooms, in planning gatherings, and when eating and drinking on campus. These provisions are designed by Harvard University and HLS to ensure a safe and healthy beginning to the new year, and we appreciate everyone’s partnership and cooperation in that effort. Each of these topics and many more are covered in greater detail on the general Return to Campus webpage.
August 5, 2021
All faculty, fellows, and staff at the Program in Islamic Law will be following Harvard University Health Services’ guidance as we navigate our upcoming return to campus amid the evolving public health situation, including the potential impact of the COVID-19 Delta variant. In addition to the HUHS guidance outlined below, the Program in Islamic Law will also have no on-campus events or visitors.
To help limit the spread of COVID-19 in our community, the University will increase its COVID-19 testing cadence requirements, effective Monday, August 9. The updated testing cadences are as follows and apply to all students, faculty, staff, and researchers with any on-campus presence:
Fully Vaccinated – once per week
Unvaccinated, including for medical/religious exemption – twice per week
Note: Residents in Undergraduate Housing were already required to test at these cadences, so this update does not affect their testing requirements.
Faculty, staff, and researchers with an infrequent presence on campus are not required to come to campus for the sole purpose of testing. Simply test the next time you are on campus.
Campus-wide vaccination is the best weapon against the coronavirus, including the Delta variant. Fully vaccinated persons are very well protected from severe illness and hospitalization. So please get vaccinated, as soon as possible, if you aren’t already.
Additionally, masks work. They are highly effective at protecting ourselves, colleagues, and our loved ones from infections. With that in mind, the University continues to require masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status.
July 29, 2021
We at the Program in Islamic Law will be following Harvard Law School guidance as we navigate our upcoming return to campus amid the evolving public health situation, including the potential impact of the COVID-19 Delta variant. In addition to the HLS guidance outlined below, the Program in Islamic Law will also have no short-term visitors or events on campus.
COVID-19 Vaccinations: As previously announced, the University is requiring that every person with an on-campus presence be vaccinated, with exemptions permitted only by submission of a formal request, for medical or religious reasons.
Face Coverings: The current guidance from the University is that masks will be required for everyone indoors, regardless of vaccination status.
Physical Distancing: If you are vaccinated, you no longer need to maintain physical distance either indoors or outdoors. If you are not vaccinated, and space is available for you to distance from others, you should continue to do so.
COVID-19 Testing: Everyone will be required to test on a regular cadence, using easy, self-administered tests provided by the University. If you are vaccinated, you will be expected to test every other week. If you are unvaccinated, you will need to test every week.
Travel Guidance: Harvard also has revised travel restrictions such that fully vaccinated community members are once again permitted to engage in University-related travel within the U.S. and to certain international destinations. There will be a petition process for unvaccinated individuals to engage in University-related travel and for vaccinated persons to travel to certain higher risk countries.
Doing More to Stay Healthy: These public health protocols are the minimum standards that each person must follow while on campus (depending on their vaccination status), but every member of our community may choose to do more than what the University is requiring.
Campus Visitors: While the protocols mentioned above apply to members of our community (and are, as mentioned, subject to change), the University also has established requirements for "official visitors" and the general public. You can find these requirements on this page of the University website.
To ensure that you can always access the most up-to-date information about our return plans, HLS has launched a new HLS Return to Campus website. Because guidance will continue to change, we urge you to visit this site regularly for the latest news.
July 28, 2021
Given the rise in COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts, primarily associated with the Delta variant, Harvard University has released the following guidance:
Our best weapon against the Delta variant is campus-wide vaccination. We all play a role in protecting our community. Please report your vaccination status to Harvard University Health Services (HUHS) if you have not done so already.
The vaccines work in preventing serious infections. A small percentage of vaccinated persons have experienced “breakthrough” infections, but these cases tend to have mild or moderate symptoms (or no symptoms).
Nearly all serious COVID-19 infections are among unvaccinated persons.
Masks are another highly effective way to protect ourselves, colleagues, and our loved ones. For that reason, the University will continue to require masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status.
We at the Program in Islamic Law will be following this guidance, requiring masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status.
The University is continuing to monitor the situation and will continue to update health and safety guidance as needed. Please check the University’s Return to Campus webpage for the latest guidance and helpful resources for faculty, staff, and researchers during this transition.
Thank you again for your commitment to Keep Harvard Healthy as many more members of our community begin returning to campus in the coming weeks.
July 22, 2021
Extensive planning efforts are now underway, as we approach the return to campus. As we navigate this time of transition and experimentation, we are looking forward to an in-person Fall semester for students and fellows on campus alongside continuing our PIL events online. We continue to follow University and HLS guidelines for travel, health precautions, and a commitment to the four principles that the University has outlined: putting health and safety first, protecting and promoting academic research, leveraging our breadth and diversity, and preserving access.
The “Return to Campus Planning Guide” is continually updated to provide the latest answers to frequently asked questions, information about policies, toolkits and other relevant resources. The latest information on the return to campus can be found on the University’s coronavirus website.
July 8, 2021
As we continue to plan for the start of the fall semester and the return of more of our faculty, staff, researchers, and students in the weeks ahead, we want to share some reminders and updates.
Vaccination against COVID-19 is required by July 15. This applies to all students, faculty, staff, and postdoctoral fellows who will spend any time on Harvard’s campus this fall. If you have begun your vaccination series but not completed it (i.e., you have had only one dose of a two-dose vaccine), please submit information about what has been completed so we know that your vaccination is in process.
Thank you to every member of our community who has already verified their COVID vaccination by submitting it to Harvard University Health Services (HUHS). If you haven’t submitted your verification yet, please visit the Verify Your Vaccination webpage and follow the instructions. If you received your vaccine through HUHS, you do not need to submit any information, as HUHS already has your information on file. HUHS keeps individual medical information secure and confidential.
COVID testing will remain a part of the University’s ongoing efforts to track and limit the coronavirus within our community. New testing frequency requirements take effect on July 28. Your required testing cadence will be determined by factors including whether you live on or off campus, your vaccination status, and infection rates in the local community.
June 25, 2021
All Harvard community members who will have any on-campus presence are now required to provide verification of COVID vaccination to Harvard University Health Services (HUHS). We ask that vaccine verification be submitted by July 15. A high vaccination rate across our community is critical as we continue to consider health and safety guidance and requirements for the fall semester. As we are able to confirm a high vaccination rate, we anticipate being in a position to further ease or lift some requirements, such as indoor masking and distancing.
If you have not yet submitted your vaccine information, there is an updated process using your HarvardKey to access the HUHS Patient Portal. This process is available to all Harvard students, staff, faculty, and researchers, even if you are not an HUHS patient. Instructions for submitting are available on the Verify Your Vaccination webpage. If you have already submitted your vaccine card to HUHS through email or Accellion Kiteworks, you do not need to resubmit it. Additionally, if you received your vaccination through HUHS, you do not need to submit any information, as HUHS already has your information on file. HUHS keeps individual medical information secure and confidential.
Individuals may claim exemption from the vaccine requirement for medical or religious reasons. Students claiming an exemption should complete the Student Vaccine Exemption Form. Faculty, staff, and researchers wishing to claim an exemption to the vaccine requirement will be able to do so starting in early July. Please check the Verify Your Vaccination webpage in early July for the process for claiming an exemption. Unvaccinated individuals may be subject to additional public health measures (e.g., masking, testing) above and beyond what is required of vaccinated individuals.
Harvard Vaccine Clinics
HUHS is holding COVID-19 vaccine clinics each week through the end of August. Vaccine appointments are open to all students, staff, faculty, researchers and HUHS patients, and can be scheduled through the HUHS Patient Portal.
For international students and others who may not currently have access to a vaccine, the University plans to offer vaccination on arrival to campus. Please note, however, that you may be subject to additional requirements, such as more frequent testing, until you are considered fully vaccinated.
May 12, 2021
Harvard University hopes to be able to offer a less restricted, robust on-campus experience this fall. The latest information on the return to campus can be found on the University’s coronavirus website.
To repopulate campus in the summer and fall, Harvard expects to continue to draw upon health and safety protocols that have helped to keep our community members safe during the current academic year. A key feature will be continued regular coronavirus testing, which will enable Harvard to monitor the status and impact of the virus on campus. Updates regarding testing requirements, frequency, and other specific guidelines will be forthcoming.
To reach the high levels of vaccination needed to protect our community, Harvard will require COVID vaccination for all students who will be on campus this fall. As with existing student requirements for other vaccines, exceptions will be provided only for medical or religious reasons. For international students and any others unable to access an FDA- or WHO-authorized vaccine before the fall, the University plans to offer vaccination on arrival. Harvard expects that faculty, staff, and researchers working on campus will make every effort to be vaccinated as well. Further guidance regarding vaccination expectations will be provided in the near future. For more about the requirements, how to submit documentation, or to ask questions on the vaccine, please consult the Harvard University Health Services (HUHS) website.
Harvard University has issued new travel guidance effective May 15, 2021. Harvard faculty, students, postdoctoral fellows, and staff who are fully vaccinated may undertake Harvard-related travel within the U.S., or to any country rated Level 1 or Level 2 for COVID-19 by the CDC. Harvard faculty, doctoral students, postdoctoral fellows, and staff who are not fully vaccinated or who wish to travel to a country rated Level 3, Level 4, or Level Unknown for COVID-19 regardless of their vaccination status, may petition for an exemption to Harvard’s travel restriction if they meet certain criteria.
The Program in Islamic Law at Harvard Law School adheres to Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Harvard University, and Harvard Law School directives and protocols.
November 13, 2020
Harvard University has issued updated Coronavirus Workplace Policies. Unless otherwise advised, all staff, faculty, and academic personnel should plan to continue to work remotely through June 30, 2021. Effective January 15, 2021, idled Harvard employees whose work cannot be performed due to the COVID-19 public health emergency may use the emergency excused absence benefit to sustain up to 70% of their regular pay. Also, the University’s 2020 winter recess will now begin on Monday, December 21 rather than at noon on Thursday, December 24.
The Program in Islamic Law at Harvard Law School adheres to Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Harvard University, and Harvard Law School directives and protocols.
October 20, 2020
Dean Manning announced today that Harvard Law School will remain online for the Winter and Spring 2021 Terms due to increasing risks and uncertainties associated with the pandemic and seasonal interactions. Nevertheless, the entire Law School, including the Program in Islamic Law, will remain open and active virtually.
Students will be provided with enhanced support through additional Teaching Fellow positions, new on-campus housing options for students encountering unexpected challenges, emergency dependent care support, renewed support for the Technology Assistance Fund, stipends for textbook shipping expenses for international students, student funding for printing course packs, and streamlining the class recording request process. The extension for students to apply for voluntary leaves of absence for Winter and Spring 2021 has been extended to December 1, 2020.
For those facing challenges, please reach out to the Dean of Students Office or Counseling and Mental Health Services at Harvard University Health Services (HUHS).
All HLS research programs remain committed to the work and to supporting the student experience by building an inclusive and equally accessible community of learning and service.
The Program in Islamic Law at Harvard Law School adheres to Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Harvard University, and Harvard Law School directives and protocols.
August 20, 2020
Harvard University has extended its prohibition on University-related domestic and international travel and continues to strongly discourage personal travel. Those who require travel for work directly and immediately related to the COVID-19 pandemic or that enables critical research activities may file for the petition process with the Office of the Vice Provost for International Affairs. The prohibition does not affect student and personnel returning to Cambridge/Boston for the purposes of regular work or moving into on-campus housing. All those traveling or returning to Massachusetts must comply with the Massachusetts Travel Order.
The Program in Islamic Law at Harvard Law School adheres to Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Harvard University, and Harvard Law School directives.
August 7, 2020
The Program in Islamic Law at Harvard Law School will continue to work entirely remotely through at least the end of the 2020 calendar year. For any students returning to campus, beginning August 16, recurring COVID-19 testing will be required. The University’s test results website details comprehensive next steps, including contact tracing in case of a positive test result.
Timely communication is essential and all students, staff, and affiliates are asked to keep mobile phones and electronic devices powered and on hand.
Please refer to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health as well as all Harvard University and Harvard Law School directives, particularly as regards travel arriving from outside of Massachusetts.
June 15, 2020
Harvard Law School has announced that the Fall Term 2020 will be fully operational and online. The Program in Islamic Law will also remain fully operational as a virtual center. The Program will continue to follow Harvard University and Harvard Law School directives on reopening on-campus operations. Decisions as regard Spring Term 2021 have not been made.
All COVID-19 related updates as concern the Program in Islamic Law will continue to be posted to this dedicated webpage.
May 20, 2020
The May 19 Massachusetts reopening announcement by the Office of the Governor does not affect the current remote operations of the Program in Islamic Law. The Program will follow Harvard University and Harvard Law School guidance on reopening and operations.
All COVID-19 related updates as concern the Program in Islamic Law will continue to be posted to this dedicated webpage.
May 5, 2020
Please consult the Harvard University and Harvard Law School dedicated sites for updates on Covid-19, which we follow. Harvard University remains operational. The University will be open for the Fall 2020 semester in some form with it yet to be announced whether on-campus activities will resume. For Program in Islamic Law (PIL) specific updates, please check this dedicated PIL Covid-19 site.
PIL Events & Activities:
Although all in-person events are canceled until further notice, PIL continues to engage the University and global communities through online platforms with new content, podcasts, and remote learning.
The SHARIAsource Portal and Islamic Law Blog have new content encompassing an expanded set of primary source content and new collections of Islamic law research—including weekly roundups from around the world on Covid-19 and Islamic law, scholarship roundups, and guest blog posts by leading and emerging scholars of Islamic law on new scholarship, pedagogy, and other recent developments in Islamic law.
March 16, 2020
Program in Islamic Law Updates
Please consult the Harvard University and Harvard Law School dedicated sites for updates on Covid-19, which we follow. For PIL-specific updates, please check this dedicated PIL/Covid-19 site.
Events: All events are canceled until further notice, but podcasts featuring current fellows and recent book authors will be available later this semester. Updates will be posted through regular channels.
Harvard Library Resources: As announced this week on the Harvard Libraries dedicated site for Covid-19 updates, all university libraries are closed, and all print-based services (including borrowing returns, and Scan & Deliver) are suspended until further notice. For Islamic and Middle Eastern law questions, library liaisons remain available for research consultations, general questions, and troubleshooting via email and Zoom; contact them at [email protected] or [email protected] They compiled the following advice for Harvard affiliates needing to access materials in Islamic and Middle Eastern studies at this time:
Electronic Materials: There is a lot more now available online, either open access or via HarvardKey, than was available even just last week. Many of the publishers and vendors that provide our online resources are stepping up and offering free or expanded access during this time. It’ll be a good idea to get in the habit of doing a three-point check for any one item or topic: 1) HOLLIS, 2) the likeliest database, and 3) Google or your web search of choice. For remote access to Arabic monographs, this is a reminder that Arabic Collections Online can be a useful resource that provides access to scanned collection material. Please do consult our Guide for Harvard Middle East Collection for tips on searching: https://guides.library.harvard.edu/mideast. In addition to the generous Harvard resources, the Middle East Librarians Association (MELA) is also active and sharing resources and support. You can always send specific citations or topic-based requests my way and take advantage of our greater network of librarians that may be able to resource materials.
Teaching Remotely: For instructors and faculty, please be in touch if you are missing course reserves, have upcoming assignments that require library research, or would like to offer a virtual library session via Zoom. Harvard Library has been gathering an inventory of Library resources and materials to support your remote classroom teaching: https://library.harvard.edu/how-to/use-library-resources-remote-teaching
PIL Resources. The SHARIAsource Portal and the Islamic Law Blog will continue to operate and provide primary source content and scholarly context to various issues in Islamic law. This includes updates from around the world on Covid-19 & Islamic Law, weekly scholarship roundups, reviews of recent cases, and topical commentary by leading and emerging scholars of Islamic law who post as guest bloggers on new scholarship, pedagogy, and other recent developments in Islamic law or who provide material often of relevance to research interests or teaching use.
March 11, 2020
Program in Islamic Law Updates
Following Harvard University and Harvard Law School directives, in effect for the remainder of the semester, we are taking the following measures:
Events: PIL will no longer hold scheduled events on campus during this period. For news on each event and other updates, please check this dedicated PIL/Covid-19 site. For events that PIL co-sponsors, please seek additional information from the principal event hosts. For out-of-state events, please follow University guidance in cancelling travel that may relate to the Program in Islamic Law; all University-related non-essential travel is prohibited both domestically and internationally through at least 4/30.
Operations: PIL will continue our regular operations remotely, to the extent possible. Our offices and workspace will be closed for the remainder of the semester. If you have not already, please consult the University tools for remote access and work.
Thank you for your patience as we deal with a rapidly changing situation. Please use your best discretion to take all precautions to stay safe and healthy.
