HAMDEN, Conn. — Quinnipiac University officials said the school will follow the CDC guidelines of wearing masks indoors regardless of vaccination status due to the school being in an area with substantial spread.
In an email sent to students, faculty, and staff, the university said it will be requiring everyone to wear a face mask in all campus spaces. This rule goes into effect immediately.
"Over the last 18 months, we all have learned to be flexible given the fluid nature of the pandemic. Quinnipiac has continuously monitored health guidelines based on the latest science and data to ensure a healthy and safe living and learning environment," said QU in a written statement.
Quinnipiac student Matthew Bruin a public relations graduate student started an online petition to make wearing masks optional after receiving the email.
The petition already has 822 signatures, and once it reaches 950 signatures Bruin says that will be 10% of the universities population.
"I started the petition to show my frustration and to see if I can gather support so I can show Quinnipiac that there's a large population of people that do believe it (wearing masks) should be optional," Bruin said.
New Haven County was recently added by the CDC's list of areas of substantial community transmission.
The CDC classifies substantial transmission as 50 to 99.99 total new cases per 100,000 persons in the past seven days. Moderate transmission is anywhere from 10 to 49.99 cases per 100,000 persons.
All but Litchfield County is listed as an area of substantial spread in Connecticut.
University officials say when someone is outdoors, alone in a private office, living space, or "partitioned cubicle," and when eating in dining halls.
"Thank you for your continued support as we prepare for our fall semester together and what we expect will be a return to many of our favorite traditions, activities and experiences. We’ll see you in a few weeks!" said QU officials.
The Unversity of New Haven will also be implementing the mask mandate for students, faculty, and staff for indoor spaces. It will go into effect on August 3. People who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated must also wear face coverings and practice physical distancing when outside.
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