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University Of Oklahoma Issues Face Mask Mandate

Robby Korth / StateImpact Oklahoma

The University of Oklahoma plans to reopen its campuses to students for the fall semester. But, face masks will be mandatory, and the return to school will be far from normal.

OU’s chief COVID-19 officer, Dr. Dale Bratzler, said in a press conference Thursday that Oklahoma is seeing a substantial spike in coronavirus cases. Accordingly, OU will require students, staff, and faculty to wear fabric or disposable surgical-style masks while indoors across its three campuses in Norman, Oklahoma City, and Tulsa.

We do that because we know that masks are one of the most effective interventions to prevent the person-to-person transmission of this particular virus," Bratzler said. "In studies, it’s been shown to be up to 85-percent effective at reducing transmission from person to person."

How exactly to enforce the mask mandate is still being discussed, and there are exceptions for people in private offices, outdoors, and in the dorms while students are eating or showering, for example. The announcement comes as Oklahoma experiences record increases in daily COVID-19 cases.

On Friday, OU announced an expanded move-in process for residence halls on their Norman campus. The process comes with specific days and times for each student and safety protocols.

Logan Layden is a reporter and managing editor for StateImpact Oklahoma.
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