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OXFORD, Miss. (WJTV) — Following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH), leaders at the University of Mississippi announced masks will be required indoors for all students, faculty, staff and visitors, regardless of vaccination status.

This comes after MSDH issued new COVID guidance for colleges and universities. Ole Miss leaders said the mask mandate is now in place due to the Delta variant, which has caused an increase in COVID cases in Mississippi.

Effective immediately, the university will require face coverings in indoor public spaces on campus, regardless of vaccination status. This includes public office spaces, classrooms, conference rooms and other academic spaces like laboratories and libraries. Additionally, masks will be required while traversing public spaces in residence halls, dining facilities, the Student Union, Campus Rec, and retail spaces. Masks will be required for extracurricular activities held in indoor on-campus spaces. Face coverings are not required when outdoors.

Glenn F. Boyce, Ole Miss Chancellor

Leaders said this will be a temporary protocol, and they will evaluate the protocol daily based on how the spread of the virus evolves on campus and in the community.

On Wednesday, leaders with Mississippi State University (MSU) announced they will temporarily require masks for all indoor activities and in all indoor locations on campus at the beginning of the Fall 2021 semester.