University of Kansas will fully drop COVID-19 mask requirements Monday, chancellor says
The University of Kansas is getting rid of COVID-19 masks next week as university leaders report that cases are down to a point where wearing them in class is no longer necessary.
Douglas Girod, the university chancellor, made the announcement Friday in an open letter to the Lawrence and Edwardsville campuses. The policy takes effect when students return from spring break on March 28.
“The pandemic has taught us to expect the unexpected, and if conditions take a turn in the wrong direction, we will adjust as we have in the past,” Girod said in the statement. “With that said, given that COVID rates have declined to their lowest levels since the beginning of the pandemic, it is appropriate to remove our mask mandate.”
The move comes as university officials began gravitating away from mask-wearing earlier this month.
On March 3, the university dropped its requirement in virtually every other setting, including dining halls, research labs, hallways and athletics facilities. The decision followed a decision by the Douglas County Commission to let its COVID-19 mask order phase out.
University officials continue to promote vaccines and best practices for getting tested for the virus. Those services remain available on campus at the Watkins Health Center.
