© 2024 WEKU
NPR for Central and Eastern Kentucky
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Click Here for the Kentucky Public Radio 2024 General Election Voter Guide

University students are returning to campus, EKU remains “mask optional”

face covering and hand sanitizer
pixabay.com
face covering and hand sanitizer

Classes are back underway at Eastern Kentucky University and UK starts back in one week. This means students will be back on campus and living in dorms. Madison County is currently listed as “Yellow” on Kentucky’s COVID-19 map. This means the county has a “medium” community level. Fayette County is currently in the “Red.”

Dr. Brenda Caudill is director of student health services at EKU and a family nurse practitioner. She said student housing is at capacity and that brings some health concerns.

“Transmission of any type of illness is increased when we put a lot of people together. So all those respiratory viruses like just the plain cold, flu, COVID, all those things we worry about when people gather, that’s going to be there again.”

Caudill said the university is going mask optional and will be following the Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines when it comes to COVID-19.

“If you are ill and have a positive test, diagnosed with COVID, then you are still recommended to isolate for at least five days and as long as symptoms are improving, there is no fever, then the isolation could end at the end of day five.”

After day five, they would be asked to wear a well-fitting mask for five more days and monitor symptoms. Caudill says the university’s clinic will have rapid antigen testing for those showing symptoms of COVID-19 and those who have knowingly been exposed.

**In a sea of partisan news, WEKU is your source for public service, fact-based journalism. Monthly sustaining donors are the top source of funding for this growing nonprofit news organization. Please join others in your community who support WEKU by making your donation.

Stan Ingold is WEKU's News Director. He has worked in public broadcasting for 18 years, starting at Morehead State Public Radio before spending the past 10 years at Alabama Public Radio. Stan has been honored with numerous journalism awards for his public radio reporting.
WEKU depends on support from those who view and listen to our content. There's no paywall here. Please support WEKU with your donation.
Related Content