DC-area universities reinstating indoor mask mandates

A number of universities in and around the District of Columbia are reinstating their indoor mask mandates as COVID-19 cases rise in the region.

American University, George Washington University, Georgetown University and Johns Hopkins University have all updated their mask policies in April.

American University and George Washington University are the most recent to update their guidelines, announcing on Tuesday that masks are once again required in all indoor settings.

American University had made masking optional on March 21 and has since reported 74 new coronavirus cases. The school says students must now wear “well-fitting, high-quality masks such as N95s or KN95s” in all buildings on the campus.

American University will revisit the decision on May 9, after the school’s graduation ceremonies.

George Washington University said masks will be required in all university buildings and strongly recommends, but does not require, that students wear N95 or KN95 masks.

The mask requirement at the school will continue until the end of the spring semester and graduation, which is scheduled for May 15. 

Earlier in April, both Georgetown University and Johns Hopkins University issued mask mandates as well.

Georgetown required masking indoors starting April 7 after an increase in COVID-19 cases on campus. 

The school is also encouraging, but not requiring, N95 or K95 masks. Georgetown did not state when the policy would be reexamined. 

Johns Hopkins’s mask policy was reinstated after 100 undergraduate students tested positive for COVID-19 since April 1. 

The school said those students have experienced no symptoms or mild symptoms from the virus.

“We’re continuing to monitor conditions on campus and in the surrounding community and consulting with public health and medical experts in hopes of soon lifting the temporary precautions,” the university said in an email to The Hill.

The change in policies comes as all the states across the country, along with and Washington, D.C., have dropped their mask mandates due to the low number of cases in the U.S.

The D.C. area has seen a number of high-profile outbreaks in recent days.

A number of political figures have disclosed coronavirus cases in the past week, including top-ranking lawmakers and administration officials, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Attorney General Merrick Garland among them.