JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Leaders with the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) held a news conference on Thursday to discuss new COVID guidance for colleges and universities.
Leaders said the agency is recommended that all eligible students, faculty and staff receive the COVID-19 vaccination. They also said face masks should be worn universally indoors for all students, faculty, staff and visitors, regardless of vaccination status.
MSDH officials recommended colleges and universities maintain physical distance between students within classroom settings, combined with universal indoor mask wearing, to reduce transmission risk.
Fully vaccinated individuals who come in close contact with an infected person would not have to quarantine unless they develop symptoms. It’s recommended they receive COVID-19 testing three to five days after exposure.
Students, faculty and staff who are not fully vaccinated and are identified as close contacts to COVID-19 should be in quarantine for a full 14 days, according to MSDH.
The new guidance comes as COVID-19 cases continue to increase in Mississippi due to the Delta variant. On Thursday, more than 3,000 new coronavirus cases were reported in Mississippi by MSDH.
On Wednesday, leaders with Mississippi State University (MSU) announced they will temporarily require masks for all indoor activities and in all indoor locations on campus at the beginning of the Fall 2021 semester.
Ole Miss leaders announced on Thursday that masks will be required indoors for all students, faculty, staff and visitors, regardless of vaccination status. This will be a temporary protocol.