Duke University Might Reinstate a Mask Mandate

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) moved Durham into the high-risk category last Thursday.
• Duke professors can already require masks in their classrooms.
• Purchase College in New York reinstated a mask policy in December.

Duke University students may move to mandatory masking in class in the coming weeks if Durham, North Carolina, where the school is located, doesn’t exit a high-risk category for COVID-19.

Duke on Monday sent an email to students, faculty, and staff, saying it strongly encourages anyone with flu-like symptoms to wear a mask indoors and at gatherings.

According to the email, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) moved Durham into the high-risk category last Thursday. If the classification continues for two consecutive weeks, Duke will implement an indoor mask mandate until the risk subsides.

As of now, professors may choose to require students to wear masks in individual classrooms.

Symptomatic students can still get a PCR test for COVID-19 at Student Health. Asymptomatic students can pick up a rapid test from the Duke Stores or get a PCR test at two locations on campus.

The email highly recommended that the school community get an influenza shot or bivalent COVID-19 booster if they haven’t already.

Duke isn’t the only college that has considered reinstating a mask mandate heading into 2023. Last month, NBC New York reported that the State University of New York's Purchase College implemented a mask mandate that remains in effect.