Amherst College became the latest institution of higher-learning in the United States to implement severe COVID regulations this month, demanding all students be double-masked when indoors despite vaccination status.
“As the Delta variant continues to plague the nation, the college … has tightened its public health precautions for the first two and a half weeks of the Fall 2021 semester … The restrictions include: indoor double-mask mandates, two Covid tests upon arrival, a bi-weekly testing requirement, limits on indoor gathering sizes, off-campus travel restrictions and an elimination of in-person dining services,” reports the Amherst Student Newspaper.
“Amherst will require all employees, faculty and students to wear face coverings while inside campus buildings — regardless of their vaccination status … all students must double-mask (wear two pleated filter masks on top of one another) if they are not wearing a KN95 mask in classrooms and other academic spaces operating at 100 percent capacity,” adds the outlet.
In response, hundreds of students signed an online petition to push-back against the new COVID restrictions.
“The guidelines are not based on any given data, have been developed without student input, are significantly stricter than our peer institutions, and are in conflict with CDC guidelines,” reads the petition.
Read the full report here.
