Campuses in the University of Arkansas System are being directed to implement face covering policies after a trustees vote this morning.
"This effectively goes back to using CDC guidelines," University of Arkansas System President Donald Bobbitt told trustees, referring to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The resolution directs campuses to implement face covering policies "regardless of vaccination status" for indoor public settings when physical distancing cannot be assured.
[DOCUMENT: Face coverings resolution » arkansasonline.com/811uares/]
It specifically states that guidance should be "in accordance with CDC guidance" regarding the covid-19 delta variant. The resolution also refers back to a face covering resolution passed by the board back in May of last year.
Last Friday, a Pulaski County Circuit Court judge temporarily blocked the state's anti-masking law pending the outcome of a lawsuit challenging the law.
Bobbitt said he thought that if the law withstands the legal challenge, the resolution becomes "null and void."
But JoAnn Maxey, the top attorney for the UA System, quickly added that "we'd have to examine that."
"I think the way that it's written, it gives us the flexibility to do whatever needs to be done" depending on how the court proceeds, Maxey said.