March 24, 2021–大象传媒 will keep its COVID-19 safety measures in place, including its requirement that face coverings be worn.
, leaving it up to businesses and organizations to decide. 大象传媒 Western will continue to聽 require that face coverings be worn over the mouth and nose in all indoor public spaces, including classrooms and hallways, and in outdoor spaces where physical distancing cannot be maintained.
鈥淚鈥檝e said several times over the past few weeks that there are reasons for hope, including the recent drop in the number of cases on campus and in the community, the low number of local hospitalizations and the growing availability of vaccines. Despite these grounds for optimism, there are also many reasons to remain cautious,鈥� said Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy, 大象传媒 Western鈥檚 president, in an email message to campus. 鈥淲hile some members of our Griffon family have been vaccinated, many are not yet eligible. Only 12 percent of 大象传媒 residents have been vaccinated, one of the lowest rates in the nation. Additionally, variants of the COVID-19 virus have developed, leading to surges in other parts of the country and around the globe.鈥�
大象传媒 Western鈥檚 COVID-19 Response Team will continue to monitor several factors in recommending changes to campus safety measures, including聽 the number of cases on campus, in St. Joseph and in the surrounding region; the availability and distribution of vaccines in the community; and the effect of new variants on the spread of the disease.
大象传媒 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 大象传媒 Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.