COVID variant prompts Wichita State president to require masks on parts of campus

Masks are required for all staff, students and visitors in classrooms and laboratories at Wichita State, president Richard Muma said Tuesday.

The announcement comes less than three weeks before the fall semester starts and a couple of months after the university brought back facility and staff to campus. Muma cited the increasing positive trend of COVID-19 variant in the community for Tuesday’s announcement.

“The university has been monitoring the rapid spread of the Delta variant across the country and in our own community,” he wrote. “Given this increasing positivity rate and the dangers associated with the Delta variant, the university is taking proactive steps to mitigate spread of this variant on our campus.

“Therefore, effective immediately, all students, faculty, staff, and visitors — regardless of vaccination status — will be required to wear a mask in all campus classrooms and laboratories. Additionally, we encourage all members of our campus community to wear masks in all other indoor campus locations.”

The percent of positive cases in Sedgwick County has been mostly trending up since the beginning of June. On Saturday, it surpassed the 8% mark for the first time since January, according to Sedgwick County data. However, in January, officials were testing significantly more people to get the same mark.

Last week, Muma said masks could be required under Gov. Laura Kelly’s requirement for state employees and visitors to state buildings. That requirement took effect Monday. Muma did not mention Kelly’s requirement in Tuesday’s announcement.

“We believe this small step will greatly increase our chances of keeping our campus open for in-person business and keeping our students in the classroom,” he said.

Muma said the vaccine is the “strongest tool” against the virus, and recommended students and staff get the free vaccine. More information about getting the vaccine is available at wichita.edu/covidvaccine.

Sedgwick County health officer Dr. Garold Minns, who previously overruled the Sedgwick County Commission to require a mask mandate, told commissioners Tuesday the COVID-19 vaccine is the best tool to fight the virus and about 50% of Americans have the vaccine. For those who won’t get vaccinated, masks are one of the next best solutions, he said.

“I don’t have any special affinity to mask … but it’s the one major tool we have left,” Minns said. “I think in terms of trying to get the rate down, to get this COVID thing under control, there needs to be a strong recommendation at the very least to mask up.”

Minns said “over 90% of all COVID strains in the United States” are the Delta variant.

This story was originally published August 3, 2021 at 5:35 PM.