Petition asks UGA, other state colleges to require masks in fall
Lee Shearer
lshearer@onlineathens.com
As COVID-19 cases surge in Georgia, a campus union has started a petition drive urging the University System of Georgia to require face coverings on campus this fall and adopt other strict safety measures.
More than 900 people had signed an online petition begun by the United Campus Workers of Georgia as of Monday afternoon. The petition on Change.org asks that masks be provided and required for all in the system's campus communities, including the University of Georgia.
The petition also asks that no faculty, staff or students "will be compelled to be face to face," and that free and frequent COVID-19 testing will be available for all those groups.
One activist UGA faculty member adopted a new Twitter handle — "Janet Frick will not teach unmasked students" — and posted a list of large universities' stated face mask requirements for fall semester, when UGA and many other schools say they will resume in-person instruction and reopen campuses.
Almost all in the list will require face masks, including all of the U.S. News top 20 public universities, with two exceptions: Georgia Tech and UGA.
In accordance with rules set by the University System of Georgia, UGA's plans include issuing two washable, reusable face coverings to all students, staff and faculty "and strongly encouraging their use while on campus."
The UGA rules are also "requiring all employees to self-monitor and acknowledge that they are not aware they have signs and/or symptoms of COVID-19 before coming to campus each day."
A University System of Georgia spokesperson explained the system's stance in a statement Tuesday:
"The safety of our students, faculty and staff is the University System of Georgia's top priority. From day one, the USG has followed COVID-19 guidance from the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Consistent with current guidance from those agencies, we strongly encourage everyone to wear a cloth face covering in areas of campus where social distancing cannot be practiced. Additionally, we encourage those on our campuses to frequently wash their hands for 20 seconds, avoid touching their faces and maintain a safe distance of at least six feet from others. Anyone exhibiting symptoms such as an elevated temperature, cough and shortness of breath should stay away from campus."
Most universities in the country shut down their campuses in March in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, shifting to distance learning models that continue through the summer semester.
Most colleges have released plans to resume face-to-face classes this fall, with new measures in place to limit the spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
Public health authorities say wearing face masks is a critical part of slowing the spread of the disease, especially when most people are wearing masks. In a face-to-face interaction between two people, one of whom is a carrier, the chances of transmission are very low — less than 2 percent, according to recent studies.
The move comes as the number of COVID-19 cases in Georgia reached new heights — 65,928 confirmed cases as of Monday afternoon, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health, and adding about 1,000 new cases each day recently. As of Monday afternoon, the state confirmed that 2,648 people have died of COVID-19 in Georgia.
According to information on the UGA website, 89 students, faculty and staff are known to have tested positive for COVID-19.