Gonzaga University reinstates mask mandate for students, faculty, citing delta variant of COVID-19
Officials at Gonzaga University will bring back a university-wide indoor mask mandate for students and faculty on Monday amid concern about the COVID-19 delta variant, according to an email to staff Sunday afternoon.
Gonzaga joins Whitworth University, which announced last week a requirement to wear masks indoors when groups of eight or more people are together. The mandate began Wednesday and runs through Sept. 30.
The Gonzaga mandate, effective Monday, is expected to last several weeks into the semester, officials said.
“Our focus in re-introducing the masking requirement is to add an additional preventative measure in a community that has already a very high percentage of fully vaccinated individuals,” wrote Gonzaga University President Thayne McCulloh in the email. “The breakthrough infections are an indication that even highly effective vaccines are not 100% effective for all individuals.”
Students – regardless of vaccination – status must wear masks in areas expected to have large groups of students working closely, including in classrooms, labs, large meeting areas and gathering spaces. The mandate will not apply to small groups of fully vaccinated students in certain indoor spaces, including dining facilities, campus housing or small study spaces, according to the email.
The decision comes after other colleges in the region have considered mask mandates again to protect students and faculty who may not be able to get a COVID-19 vaccine yet.
Washington State University asked unvaccinated students to wear masks in a Office of the Provost FAQ updated Aug. 9. The university said it would also require anyone on campus to get a vaccine, with no exceptions for “personal or philosophical reasons,” according to a WSU Insider article. However, WSU faculty is not allowed to ask for proof of vaccination status, they will not get a list of who is vaccinated and they cannot require all students to wear masks in their classrooms or offices regardless of status, according to the FAQ.
On June 3, Eastern Washington University added its own COVID-19 vaccination requirement for all members of campus with exceptions for medical and spiritual reasons. The university said it encouraged but would not require masks in indoor settings for everyone.
Whitworth University the university announced in an FAQ it would also require students and faculty to get the vaccine to attend campus.
The Community Colleges of Spokane said July 29 it would also require a vaccine, with medical and religious exemptions. The college will also mandate masks for students and faculty who did not get the vaccine, though it did not require them for everyone as of Sunday.
All of these schools have application processes for students who believe they qualify for an exception.
Classes at Gonzaga University begin Aug. 31.