Ethan Niebergall, right, and Abby Long, left, create personalized tie-dye masks outside the Marshall University Memorial Student Center during the first day of the fall semester on Aug. 24, 2020, in Huntington.
Ethan Niebergall, right, and Abby Long, left, create personalized tie-dye masks outside the Marshall University Memorial Student Center during the first day of the fall semester on Aug. 24, 2020, in Huntington.
HUNTINGTON — Both Marshall University and West Virginia University will relax COVID-19 protocols and restrictions as students and staff return for the fall 2022 semester.
In statements recently released, universities said while not required, masks are highly recommended while on campus. For Marshall University, mandates are still in place on the health sciences campus or when “otherwise mandatory,” a notice sent to the Marshall community said.
Both universities will continue to stock mask dispensers, provide hand sanitizer, clean and more to help curb the spread of the virus.
According to COVID-19 data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, both Cabell County, where Marshall’s main campus is, and Monongalia County, where WVU’s main campus is, are at high risk for COVID-19 spread. The CDC recommends mask-wearing for these areas.
A community-wide notice sent by Marshall University said the decision was made after consultation with its environmental health and safety team, the Cabell-Huntington Health Department and other health care partners. Marshall referred to high vaccination rates among the Herd community as a reason for making the decision.
Both universities continue to promote vaccinations among their communities. WVU encourages but will not require those on campus to get the COVID-19 vaccination and stay up to date with a booster.
At Marshall, employees can request visitors wear masks and socially distance in private offices. At WVU, faculty and advisers will not be able to require masks, but can let their preference be known.
WVU said it will not require testing prior to students and staff arriving on campus, but encouraged them to test before and during the semester. If not living in a residence hall, students and employees will not be required to report a positive test to the university, but they are expected to follow CDC guidelines for isolation.
If a person contracts COVID-19, they must go into isolation for five days and wear a mask for an additional five days while in class and indoor spaces on campus.
West Virginia University will also end its university-specific COVID-19 dashboard.
The vaccination clinic in the Memorial Student Center at Marshall will remain active for the foreseeable future. The university encourages self-reporting of positive tests and will continue contact tracing efforts. Marshall’s coronavirus website will remain active for continuing updates, as the decisions released this week can change at any time.
Courtney Hessler is a reporter for The Herald-Dispatch, primarily covering Marshall University. Follow her on Facebook.com/CHesslerHD and via Twitter @HesslerHD.
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