Missouri State changes COVID rules as Springfield cases surge. Here’s what to know

Missouri State University is adjusting some of its COVID-19 protocols going into the fall semester in response to the recent rise in cases and hospitalizations in the Springfield, Missouri, area, according to the university’s Director of Safety David Hall.

The university is expected to announce this week that it will require unvaccinated students living on campus to submit a negative COVID-19 test prior to arrival.

If a student’s test comes back positive for the virus, the university will move them into COVID-19 isolation housing, Hall wrote in an email, unless they chose to isolate at home.

“They will not be able to move into the regular residence hall until they have completed their isolation,” Hall wrote.

The university also plans to offer voluntary asymptomatic testing to all students on campus. Pop-up testing stations will be available in the university’s union and library, among other locations.

Hall also said the university has decided to conduct its own contact tracing on campus instead of relying on the county’s contact tracing program.

The university had not originally planned to implement these procedures, Hall said. The changes come as Springfield sees an increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations and cases driven by the spread of the Delta variant and low vaccination rates.

“We plan to return to a much more normal fall semester,” Hall said. “As we’ve seen an increase in the number of cases and everything, we know that there are contingencies that we’ve needed to implement in order to help make sure that we are able to do that and be able to do so safely.”

Hall said the university will continue to monitor the situation in Springfield and adjust its procedures accordingly. “If there’s additional things we need to do, then we’ll certainly be looking at that,” he said.

Here’s what else you need to know:

When do classes start?

Some classes are set to begin August 2 for the school’s Fall Intersession, the three week period when students take concentrated courses. Most students will return to campus August 23, when regular fall term classes begin.

What is the state of COVID-19 in Springfield, Missouri?

On Tuesday, the Springfield-Greene County Health Department reported the death toll between June 21 and July 4 was the highest in a single reporting period since January. Struggling with a lack of medical supplies, Mercy Springfield hospital ran out of ventilators for its patients over the Fourth of July weekend.

A CDC epidemiologist has arrived in southwest Missouri as part of a White House-supported “surge response team” to combat the outbreak of the variant.

Do students have to wear masks?

The university’s mask mandate expired on May 21, 2021. Masks are still required in certain marked areas, such as in medical clinics and on the Bear Line — the school’s bus system.

Can students get vaccinated on campus?

Yes. Vaccination appointments are available at the Magers Health and Wellness Center. The university is encouraging students returning to campus to get vaccinated and offering incentives -- ranging from gift cards to free tuition -- to those who get the shot.

Are residence halls open?

Yes, dorms are going to be open in the fall. The university is expecting about 3,200 students to live in the residence halls this year.

What are some of the other procedures the university has in place?

The university plans to conduct wastewater testing in order to detect outbreaks of the virus on campus. One on-campus residence hall is also reserved for quarantine and isolation housing.

This story was originally published July 8, 2021 at 1:58 PM.