Bristol uni goes back to masks on campus

While it is very reassuring that cases within our University community remain low, we are concerned this picture could change quickly if we drop our guard during the winter months Vice-chancellor Hugh Brady

BRISTOL University has made face coverings mandatory on its campus once again. In an email to all staff and students, Vice-Chancellor Hugh Brady confirmed the move, blaming “stubbornly high” Covid rates across Bristol, as well as the “extreme pressure” on the NHS.

But staff at the university have no powers to enforce mask-wearing in campus buildings. The university says that is because there is no legislation in place mandating it.

This new policy from the university comes in the wake of Bristol’s hospital system reaching the highest state of alert – Opel 4, meaning there is “increased potential for patient care and safety to be compromised.”

Last week, Bristol West MP Thangam Debbonaire – whose constituency includes Bristol University – wrote to Health Secretary Sajid Javid requesting help and support for Bristol’s health and care services.

The government continues to insist no national restrictions are necessary, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson saying on Monday that they “don’t see anything in the data” that would warrant the move.

In an email to students and staff vice-chancellor Hugh Brady wrote: “As you may be aware Covid-19 rates in the City of Bristol remain stubbornly high and above the average across most of England, and hospitalisation rates continue to put our NHS services under extreme pressure.

“While it is very reassuring that cases within our University community remain low, we are concerned that this picture could change quickly if we drop our guard during the winter months when social distancing and ventilation is more challenging and other seasonal viruses such as flu are likely to make the situation worse. “This, in turn, could trigger new restrictions and jeopardise our ability to offer in-person on-campus teaching.

“As a precautionary measure to protect our community and bolster our ability to continue in-person teaching, from today all staff and students are now required to wear a face covering inside buildings on campus.”

He said that masks are not required if the student/staff member is exempt, eating or drinking, or in cases that a “reasonable distance” can be kept from other people, such as at a desk in a library or an office. He acknowledged there is no national requirement to wear a face covering, but said he “firmly believes” it is an “appropriate preventative measure to reduce the spread of the virus as protect inperson teaching”.

Covid marshals will be reintroduced on campus “to help remind staff and students of their responsibility to wear a face covering”.

However, staff have been raising concerns behind the scenes as they have no way of enforcing the policy. If a student were to refuse to wear a mask (presuming the student does not have an exemption), staff have been told that they cannot ask a student to leave the room.

This has raised questions about whether wearing a face covering is actually mandatory, given that there seem to be no consequences for students who refuse to wear one.