Course change: MTU requiring masks indoors
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HOUGHTON -- Michigan Technological University is masking back up.
In a university-wide message Thursday, President Rick Koubek announced face coverings will be required indoors for the next five weeks as part of a move back to level two of its five-tiered COVID-19 health and safety plan. The requirement applies to all faculty, students, staff and visitors, regardless of their vaccination status.
Koubek said the university was acting out of an abundance of caution due to the rise of the more contagious delta variant of COVID-19.
"During the first few weeks of the semester, we will continue to review available data to inform our pandemic mitigation strategy," Koubek said. "Our hope is that Michigan Tech's face covering requirement is short-term. Our goal is to return to a face-covering-optional environment once we have more information regarding the spread of COVID-19 within our campus community."
Michigan Technological University "strongly recommends" the vaccine, Koubek said. However, students and staff will not be required to get it.
Tech had been at level one, the lowest level of the COVID plan, since June 22.
Northern Michigan University announced Wednesday it would require masks on campus. Several larger universities downstate, including University of Michigan and Michigan State University, are requiring vaccination for students and staff.
No cases of the delta variant have been reported in the Copper Country. In Houghton County, the seven-day average of cases was at 15.7 daily cases per million, after rising above 30 for multiple days in late July.
Six patients are hospitalized for COVID across the Upper Peninsula, according to the state's COVID-19 dashboard.