Ole Miss requiring masks on campus regardless of immunization status

OXFORD, Miss. (WMC) - The University of Mississippi, better known as Ole Miss, says masks are making their way back to campus.

With a new semester starting and the COVID-19 Delta variant running rampant, the Ole Miss Chancellor Glenn Boyce announced masks are now required to be worn indoors effective immediately.

It comes as the CDC and the Mississippi State Department of Health updated their guidelines regarding facial coverings saying, “masks be worn universally indoors for all students, faculty, staff and visitors, regardless of vaccination status. Due to the prevalence of the highly transmissible Delta Variant, masks must be worn in all indoor facilities to mitigate the risk of infection at this time.”

The guidelines include bathrooms, public office spaces, classrooms, conference rooms, libraries, labs, dining facilities, residence halls, Student Union, campus rec and retail spaces.

Boyce says he believes this strategy is the “least disruptive way to ensure a full campus experience.”

The University of Memphis and the University of Tennessee have also announced similar guidelines regarding mask usage on campus.