North Dakota’s Board of Higher Education is “strongly encouraging” the state’s 11 public colleges and universities to require masks, as a way to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
UND and NDSU are already requiring masks to be worn when students, faculty and staff are indoors, or in places where social distancing is not possible.
Classes are to start August 24th across the campuses.
The chairman of the NDUS “Smart Restart” task force also outlined plans for COVID-19 testing for students, faculty and staff. UND Medical School Dean Joshua Wynne told the Board the hope is to have every student be tested before they come to campus.
"The Department of Health has developed a wide-ranging testing plan, involving nearly dozens of locations, to test incoming students," Wynne told the Board. "Our goal is to test as many of the students as possible."
Wynne said there will also be subsequent testing available for students.
"This especially will be when students leave campus and then return, or when athletic teams leave and return," Wynne said. "The testing plan is now being worked on."
Wynne said the details will be made available early in August.
Wynne said the Health Department will also be hiring more “contact tracers” to help identify who has been in contact with an infected student.
