eNewMexican

Arizona governor blocks ASU policy requiring masks

Regents say they were following CDC rules, will comply with state

By Bob Christie

PHOENIX — Gov. Doug Ducey on Tuesday blocked a new Arizona State University policy that would have required unvaccinated students to submit to twice-weekly COVID-19 testing and wear a mask, calling the decision “bad policy.”

The Republican governor issued an executive order saying students at the state’s public universities and community colleges can’t be required to get the vaccine, submit vaccination documents, be tested or forced to wear masks.

ASU and the Arizona Board of Regents, which oversees the state’s three public universities, said they would comply with Ducey’s order.

An ASU statement noted that it never issued a vaccine mandate but was following guidelines for universities from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by ensuring that unvaccinated people continue to follow protocols like masking.

“The CDC recognizes the unique environments of institutions of higher learning; the ASU student population includes people from all 50 states and more than 130 countries,” the statement said.

Ducey’s order came after he criticized the ASU policy in a series of tweets Monday night. He said the rules for students attending class in person this fall has “no basis in public health” and that even the Biden administration has been more reasonable.

But the governor also included a screenshot of a quote from the CDC’s director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, that appeared to contradict his own position.

“The science demonstrates that if you are fully vaccinated, you are protected,” Walensky is quoted as saying. “It is the people who are not fully vaccinated in those settings, who might not be wearing a mask, who are not protected.”

In an interview with KTAR radio before Ducey’s executive order was issued, ASU President Michael Crow said he believes the governor and other critics of the policy may have misinterpreted it, calling it essentially an extension of current rules that say vaccinated people don’t need to wear masks in most cases.

“I think what happened here was some people thought that we were requiring vaccinations, initially, which we weren’t,” Crow said. “I think that’s just gotten some people very upset, and hopefully they’ll take a closer look at it.”

Crow said the university has been consistently pushing for a full return to in-person learning and is not requiring COVID-19 vaccines as many universities are doing.

LOCAL & REGION

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2021-06-16T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-06-16T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://enewmexican.pressreader.com/article/281788517011633

Santa Fe New Mexican