Masks required indoors at UNCW for the fall 2021 semester

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WWAY) —Today, UNCW announced its masking guidelines ahead of this upcoming semester, basing the decision on CDC guidance and the recent spike in the number of COVID-19 cases across the state.

This upcoming fall semester UNCW is requiring students, staff, and visitors to wear masks indoors when on campus.

The only exceptions to UNCW’ s indoor mask mandate, is when a person is in their dorm room or office. free masks will be available around campus to people who do not have one.

Face coverings are not required outdoors, but the university is asking people to be respectful to individuals who choose to wear one when outside.

UNCW’s Director of the Student Health Center says the university based the decision on CDC guidelines, and recent coronavirus case numbers.

“So, we’ve had lots of conversation on campus, obviously watching the cases, not only locally, but across the state and the country. Really, paying attention to what we need to do to try to have as familiar a Fall as possible,” said Dr. Katrin Wessner-Harts, UNCW’s Student Health Center Director.

Wesner-Harts says the mandatory mask mandate is considered temporary.

“We’ve had people say ‘I want to wear face coverings, we’ve had people say ‘we don’t want to wear face covering’, a little bit of everything, and so this we really looked at like what can we do that’s the least invasive, but can have a good protection,” said Wessner-Harts. “Obviously vaccinations are our number one, and then face coverings go really well with that, and then along with like handwashing, we’re going to keep our hand sanitizer stations up on campus, to really continue that encouragement.”

The university guidelines also detail requirements for testing, and vaccinations.

“We are encouraging all of our students to be vaccinated, and actually all of campus community to be vaccinated, and we are asking students to send their vaccination records to us at the health center. So, we can include that in their medical record, and then residential students who are vaccinated will not need to do weekly testing. Those that are unvaccinated will need to do weekly surveillance testing,” said Wessner-Harts.

This mask requirement goes into effect on Monday, August 2, and will be reviewed on or before September 17.