Wright State reinstates indoor mask mandate

Wright State University campus. FILE

Wright State University campus. FILE

Wright State is reinstating its indoor mask policy for all people on campus regardless of vaccination status, WSU president Sue Edwards announced Wednesday. The policy is effective Thursday.

Masks are not required when outdoors on Wright State campuses if people can maintain a safe physical distance. Wright State has a campus in Greene and Mercer counties.

Face coverings must be worn in university buildings, except when actively eating or drinking or working alone in a closed space such as an office or lab.

Wright State said the face coverings must cover the nose, mouth and chin.

The university said that its revised campus mask policy is based on the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as state and local health partners.

The Delta variant has become the most common form of the coronavirus in Ohio and in the United States, Wright State noted. The updated mask mandate is also a necessary step given the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the counties in which Wright State campuses are located, the university said.

“Because the Delta variant can be transmitted by fully vaccinated people to others, masking adds another layer of protection for employees, students and visitors,” Wright State said in a statement.

Wright State is also strongly encouraging all faculty, staff, and students to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

“When combined with masking, the vaccine remains the most effective tool to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” Edwards said. “It is also the best way to help our university return to a full campus life and protect community members who cannot get the vaccine.”

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