KU recommends students, staff mask up indoors following CDC, Douglas County guidance
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Masks in the Kansas City region
Here’s the latest on masks and the coronavirus in Kansas City and the surrounding areas.
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The University of Kansas is asking all students and staff to wear masks indoors following new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and local health departments.
The university stopped requiring masks on campus when the local order in Douglas County expired in May. Instead, school officials asked unvaccinated students to wear masks and required them on public transportation and in campus healthcare settings.
On Tuesday, the CDC issued new guidance that even vaccinated Americans should wear masks indoors in areas of the country where COVID-19 transmission is high or substantial. Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health responded with a press release urging mask use across the county.
In an email to staff and students Wednesday, KU referred to those advisories and was careful to note that students would not be required to mask up.
“It is not a mandate, and individuals who choose not to follow this recommendation will not be in violation of any university policy at this time. Still, we strongly urge and hope that individuals will care for their own health and contribute to the health of others by adhering to this guidance,” the email said.
The new advice from CDC comes as COVID-19 spreads at exponential rates in Kansas, driven by the delta variant. The state is averaging 682 cases per day, up 82% from two weeks ago according to the New York Times.
Gov. Laura Kelly announced Wednesday afternoon she would require mask use in state buildings and by state agency employees.
Kansas City, Missouri, issued a new mask mandate Wednesday morning.
Headed into the 2021 fall semester, KU’s email said, the university would monitor the situation and updating guidance.
State law bars the university from requiring students and staff to be vaccinated. But KU will require all students moving into housing to either be vaccinated or obtain a COVID-19 test, KU spokeswoman Erinn Barcomb-Peterson said in an email.
Last month university officials indicated they were headed towards a nearly-normal campus experience in August. In an email, Tuesday, Barcomb-Peterson said they are still planning for a “residential experience” with in person classes.
Kansas State University is still reviewing the guidance and determining next steps, spokeswoman Michelle Geering said in an email.
This story was originally published July 28, 2021 at 6:00 PM with the headline "KU recommends students, staff mask up indoors following CDC, Douglas County guidance."
