St. Cloud State to Require Masks Inside Campus Buildings Starting Thursday

(KNSI) – St. Cloud State University is implementing an indoor masking requirement following the CDC and Minnesota Department of Health’s recommendations that people in areas with substantial COVID-19 transmission go back to wearing face masks indoors.

Stearns County is seeing that substantial level of viral spread, and in an email to students, the university says all people on campus will be required to wear a face mask indoors, regardless of vaccination status.

The requirement starts Thursday and includes the SCSU campus at Plymouth.

As the start of the fall 2021 semester grows closer, the university says its Bring Huskies Home Team will monitor COVID-19 case rates locally to determine whether or not to lift the masking requirement.

“As we review the data, the occurrence of four consecutive days of transmission rate (either increasing or decreasing) will trigger masking protocol (either on or off),” an email to students reads. “On a weekly basis, our campus masking status will be communicated with Star Alert notifications, and messages via emails, digital signs, campus signs and the University website. Please continue to carry a mask with you at all times. ”

The university says despite the masking requirement, there will be no significant changes to campus operations for the fall semester.

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