BLACKSBURG, Va. – Masks will remain required in Virginia Tech’s campus locations in Roanoke and Blacksburg. However, masks will now be optional in the university’s Washington, D.C. and Richmond campuses.
University President Tim Sands made the announcement on Friday, stating that the decision was based on the new guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at the county level last week.
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According to the CDC recommendations and the university’s internal data, the community level in Montgomery County, which is where the Blacksburg campus is located, continues to be “high.”
In addition, while the community level at the university’s Health and Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke City is “medium,” most of the campus is a health care setting and Roanoke County’s level is also“high.”
In the guidance, individuals living in an area with a “high” community level are required to wear a mask indoors. Therefore, individuals will still need to wear a mask in indoor public spaces on the university’s Blacksburg and Roanoke campuses.
The university says if COVID-19 cases continue to drop, mask requirements at Blacksburg and Roanoke campuses will soon be lifted.
On the other hand, masks will be recommended but no longer required in the university’s campus location in the greater Washington, D.C., metro area and Richmond given that the locations have dropped to “medium” or “low” community levels. Those in a “medium” community are not required to wear a mask and are prompted to discuss with their healthcare provider whether they should do so.
Based on this guidance, masks will not be required in indoor instructional spaces and optional elsewhere at those Virginia Tech locations.