Kansas State University will require everyone to wear masks indoors on university property unless they are alone in their offices, starting Monday.
The university announced the new policy Friday because of the spread of the more contagious COVID-19 delta variant. K-State also cited new guidance this week from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a mask mandate that Gov. Laura Kelly has imposed for state employees and visitors to state buildings in most Kansas counties.
The mandate will apply on Kansas State's main campus in Manhattan, its Polytechnic Campus in Salina and its satellite campus in Olathe.
Kansas has seen a surge in new COVID-19 cases during the past five weeks as the delta variant has spread. Confirmed delta variant cases have doubled every two weeks, according to state health department data.
Kelly's order applies in counties that the CDC deems to have either substantial or high community spread of COVID-19. As of Friday, 86 of the state's 105 counties were covered, including the three with Kansas State campuses.
Kansas State University's announcement came two days after the University of Kansas imposed a similar mask mandate on its main campus in Lawrence and its satellite campus in Overland Park.