Arizona State University on Wednesday went beyond its recommendation that students and others on campus wear face coverings to combat the spread of COVID-19 by making it a requirement in classrooms, labs and certain other indoor settings.
An ASU policy statement posted Wednesday said other settings where masks will be required include “close-quarter environments where physical distancing may not be possible." Those include facilities that serve the general public, meeting rooms, workshops, production and design studies and any indoor areas designated by posted signage.
A state law passed this year bars universities and K-through-12 schools from putting mask mandates in place. The University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University are encouraging facemasks.
Arizona reported nearly 2,000 new known infections Wednesday as the delta variant has driven a renewed virus surge both in the state and nationwide. There were 1,513 hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Arizona as of Tuesday.
