"We still consider it a volunteer option for people,'' he said of COVID-19 vaccinations. "We are not going to make it a mandatory strategy... We're going to rely on the people in the state of Rhode Island to keep themselves safe and keep the community safe." But that said, the University of Rhode Island on Tuesday became the latest university to announce that vaccinations would be required for students during the next school year. "It doesn't matter when we did this,'' he said in response to lingering questions about the timing of the mask relief about a week before everyone in the last group of adults to qualify for a vaccination could have reached the two-week mark, after their two shots. "There's going to be a phase-in."