According to the university, the policy change comes as nearly half of the counties home to Penn State campuses are experiencing “substantial” levels of COVID-19 transmission, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Newly announced Penn State guidelines said indoor mask-wearing orders would return at campuses where transmission was identified as “high” (red) or “substantial” (orange).
“Penn State is taking this proactive measure to protect the health and safety of our campuses and help mitigate the spread of this virus within our community,” said Penn State President Eric J. Barron. “As we continue to see daily increases in COVID-19 cases, particularly the Delta variant, our current outlook warrants this protective step. I continue to look forward to a return to robust, in-person experiences, and hope this is a reassuring adjustment for students, faculty and staff. To have a successful semester, it’s going to take all of us doing our parts to support the well-being of our entire community.”