IUP updates policy to require masking
Indiana University of Pennsylvania is changing its face mask policy for fall — again.
The state-owned university announced late Monday that face coverings/masks must be worn indoors in public spaces at all campuses and centers, regardless of vaccination status. The change takes effect at 8 a.m. Tuesday and comes eight weeks after the university initially announced the requirement and three weeks after it reversed that decision.
Officials in this latest move point to factors including vaccination rates in Indiana County, which are well behind those across Pennsylvania and the nation. Classes are to begin Monday.
“As of August 14, the Indiana County COVID-19 vaccination rate (fully vaccinated people age 18 and older) is 35%, and Pennsylvania’s COVID-19 vaccination rate (fully vaccinated people age 18 and older) is 53%, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health,” IUP said in a statement released by spokeswoman Michelle Fryling. “The national COVID-19 vaccination rate (fully vaccinated adults age 18 and older) is 51%, according to the Centers for Disease Control.”
IUP is Western Pennsylvania’s largest state-owned university with 10,000-plus students. In June, it announced it would require all students and employees to wear masks indoors including classrooms, saying it and other State System of Higher Education campuses cannot mandate COVID-19 vaccinations without an act of the state Legislature, nor can they require students and others to disclose their vaccination status.
“Because we won’t know the vaccination rate on campus — and we don’t have space inside our classrooms for social distancing — we are requiring masks to keep everyone safe,” the school posted on its Facebook page in late June.
A month later, it reversed course, dropping the mask requirement for both vaccinated and unvaccinated people, although the school did urge the latter group to wear them. Infection rates were rising nationally, but officials at IUP cited stable infection rates in Indiana County.
As of last week, about half of the 14 State System campuses had indoor mask requirements, including the four other western campuses — California, Clarion, Edinboro and Slippery Rock.
On Monday, IUP officials said free COVID-19 vaccines are available for students at the IUP Health Service, effective immediately. Vaccinations appointments should be scheduled in advance through the IUP Health Service website or by telephone at 724-357-2550.
Distribution of safety kits — which include reusable masks — to students and departments are ongoing. “Please note that safety kits distributed this past weekend include outdated information about masking. The information in this email supersedes the information on the flyer in the kits,” school officials said.
“While IUP is not legally permitted to require COVID19 vaccinations, it has joined the State System of Higher Education Board of Governors, the chancellor, and the State System university presidents to encourage all people, in consultation with their health care providers, to get vaccinated,” school officials said.