UWGB, UWSP join others in requiring masks indoors.
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and UW-Stevens Point announced Friday they would require people to wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status, becoming the latest UW schools to do so in the face of political opposition.
UW-Green Bay Chancellor Michael Alexander called the new policy the “safe and prudent” step to take at this time, one important not only for health and safety reasons but also “to ensure normal operations of UW-Green Bay for the academic year.”
“While wearing masks indoors we can still gather in groups, have events, and interact with one another,” Alexander said. “This is vital after the last 18 months. By wearing masks indoors and increasing our vaccination rates, it is my sincere hope that we will be able to limit the spread of COVID and remove the mask requirement as soon as possible.”
UW-Stevens Point’s announcement said no employee or student cases had been reported on campus in the last several weeks. But the number of people on campus will grow exponentially in the coming weeks.
“Cases are high and rising in our communities,” the university’s announcement reads. “We continue to monitor these transmission rates and will revisit our face covering policy as public health warrants. Wearing face masks is a simple, effective way to protect yourself and others you care about.”
UW-Milwaukee and UW-Madison also returned to indoor mask mandates in light of rising COVID-19 transmission and new guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health officials that encourages vaccinated people to return to wearing masks indoors when around people outside of their immediate household.
UW-Milwaukee is also requiring weekly testing for unvaccinated employees and students who come to campus.
UW-Eau Claire, UW-Stout and UWLa Crosse this week said they would “expect” people to wear masks indoors, stopping short of a mandate.
The UW System has asserted individual campuses’ right to set health and safety policy in the wake of a GOP directive passed Tuesday by the state Legislature’s rules committee that states the UW colleges must get permission from state lawmakers before imposing pandemic-related mandates.
Neither System nor campus officials have said whether they would seek legislative approval for the new mask mandates. At this point, it is unclear if there will be any legal opposition to the rules committee’s directive or the campuses’ new mandates.
The legislative rule only applies to UW schools. In the technical college system, Milwaukee Area Technical College and Madison Area Technical College are among those requiring masks indoors.