US colleges reinstate mask requirements, but expert says 'the time for mask mandates is gone'
Categories: US Education News
Several colleges and universities across the nation are reinstating mask mandates amid a "significant increase" in COVID-19 cases on campus, but one expert thinks the mandates are unnecessary.Georgetown University, Rice University, Columbia University, Johns Hopkins University and American University have all reinstated mask mandates across campus.An announcement to the campus community on April 6 by Georgetown University states a "significant increase" in COVID-19 cases is forcing the university to reinstate the indoor mask requirement.
"We are taking these steps in response to a significant increase in COVID-19 cases on the Main Campus and Medical Center campuses this week, particularly among undergraduate students," the announcement states. "This increase is partly due to the impact of the BA.2 omicron subvariant. BA.2 is now the dominant strain in the United States, including in DC and on our campuses. While recent studies show that BA.2 does not cause more severe illness than the initial omicron variant, they also show that BA.2 is even more transmissible."
According to a university dashboard, 98% of Georgetown University students and faculty are vaccinated against COVID-19.The announcement states that the decision is being made "based on the current situation and in an abundance of caution."Siegel said in limited circumstances, such as a substantial COVID-19 outbreak on campus, mandatory masking might be acceptable, but added that many colleges have a very high rate of vaccination.