Zoe Berg, Photo Editor

After a semester of in-person tours, Yale has tightened public health restrictions and reverted to virtual admissions programming until late February.

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions and Yale Visitor Center canceled campus tours between mid-January and Feb. 20. Yale had suspended its visitor policy on Jan. 7 in response to high case rates among the New Haven and Yale communities. The office will still offer virtual programming over the coming weeks.

“It’s a great joy for our offices and our student guides to share Yale’s campus with prospective students and visitors, and we’re looking forward to offering them once again when public health circumstances improve,” Associate Director of Admissions John Yi ’13 wrote in an email to the News.

Until Feb. 21, all campus visitors must acquire advanced approval or reapproval from the University’s COVID-19 Review Team or Health and Safety Leader, though officials encourage visitors to delay trips to New Haven until after restrictions end. Events, gatherings and meetings will also face limitations until the end of February.

In the meantime, Yi said, the admissions office will host online programming including virtual information sessions and virtual tours for prospective students, and the Visitor Center will offer “a limited schedule of virtual tours to the general public.”

According to Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Jeremiah Quinlan, registration remains open for tours conducted between Feb. 21 and Mar. 11.

“We plan to offer these tours — plus more later in the semester — following the same protocols and precautions that enabled our offices to successfully offer campus tours last fall,” Quinlan said.

Such precautions — which the admissions office employed after resuming in-person tours in October — include capped tour groups, no entry to campus buildings and vaccination and mask requirements.

Sam Feldman ’23, who serves as one of Yale’s head tour guides, told the News that tour cancellations are always “unfortunate.”

“But we are hopeful that we can begin giving in-person tours again soon,” Feldman added. “Our tour guides have done a remarkable job being flexible, and I know we’re all eager to begin giving tours again as soon as possible.”

Feldman emphasized the importance of tours in conveying the realities of Yale life to visitors and attributed this to the “incredible breadth of experiences” of Yale Tour Guides.

The Yale Visitor Center sits at 149 Elm St.