Colleges, state toughen virus rules

August 11, 2021

Mountain Empire Community College and the University of Virginia’s College at Wise are requiring students, staff and visitors to wear masks indoors.

Meanwhile, Gov. Ralph Northam has announced that Virginia state employees must get vaccinated or get tested for COVID-19 weekly.

COLLEGES

MECC announced its indoor mask mandate went into effect Aug. 5. The UVA Wise mandate took effect Aug. 6.

In a press release, MECC said it is following guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and a mandate from the state community college system.

“MECC is committed to the safety of our students, faculty and staff in making safety-related decisions based on the best guidance of healthcare professionals,” President Kristen Westover said. “With portions of our service region reporting high COVID transmission rates, and with the rise of the virus’s easily transmitted delta variant, the community college system and MECC have implemented provisions to do what is necessary to protect the populations we serve.”

CDC guidance calls for layered protection strategies at higher education institutions and for fully vaccinated people to wear a mask in public indoor settings “in areas of substantial or high transmission,” the college said. As of Aug. 4, that included the college’s entire service region.

A portion of MECC courses will be offered online this fall, with some in-person classes offered in technical and general education areas. Instructors will be permitted to remove masks when instructing students from a safe distance or from behind a plexiglass barrier.

UVA Wise also cited CDC guidance based on growth of the delta variant of COVID in recent weeks.

UVA Wise Chancellor Donna Henry’s statement to the campus community noted that getting the COVID vaccine “is still the best way to protect yourself and your family, students, friends and others in your circle from the virus . . . however, masking is the best secondary tactic, beyond the vaccine, that we can employ to protect our community as a whole and the individuals within it.”

STATE WORKERS

The governor announced Aug. 5 that the commonwealth will require state employees to show proof that they are fully vaccinated or get weekly COVID tests.

The policy will affect about 122,000 employees and takes effect Sept. 1, according to a press release.

Nearly 73 percent of Virginia adults have received at least one vaccine dose, and 54 percent of Virginians are fully vaccinated, Northam said.