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Penn State To Provide Face Masks For All Students, Faculty, & Staff

Penn State plans to provide two reusable face masks to each student, faculty, and staff member this fall, the university announced Wednesday.

Students living on campus will receive their Penn State-branded face masks when they arrive on campus for move-in or directly from Residence Life. Staff and faculty members, on the other hand, will receive their personal protective equipment directly from their academic colleges, units, or campuses.

Penn State also said it’s working with 28 local apartment complexes and property owners to distribute masks to the approxmiatley 18,000 off-campus students. Greek life organizations will receive 6,000 masks of their own to distribute to their members als well.

Off-campus students who don’t receive masks from their property owners or Greek life organizations will be able to pick up masks at the Allen Street Gates or in the HUB. They’ll need to present a valid Penn State ID to do so.

Faculty members teaching in-person classes will receive a supply of surgical masks for students who forget to bring one to class, as well as bottles of hand sanitizer to disinfect microphones and other surfaces.

This summer, Penn State procured more than two million pieces of personal protective equipment, including 500,000 reusable masks, an estimated 1.5 million surgical masks, more than 14,000 face shields, and 33,000 bottles of hand sanitizer.

Penn State said it plans to have all personal protective equipment “ready for distribution” by the start of the fall semester but added there may be delays due to high demand and supply constraints. The university implores students, faculty, and staff to bring their owns masks with them before they return to campus and not rely solely on these distributions.

This fall, Penn State will require all students, faculty, and staff to wear masks in classrooms, around campus, and within the community. Those who fail to comply could be met with disciplinary action, potentially including suspension or expulsion.

Last week, the State College Borough Council passed a new ordinance giving local officials more power to enforce mask-wearing and public health guidelines. Those found downtown without wearing a mask when needed could receive a civil infraction and be fined $300.

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About the Author

Matt DiSanto

Matt proudly served as Onward State’s managing editor for two years until graduating from Penn State in May 2022. Now, he’s off in the real world doing real things. Send him an email ([email protected]) or follow him on Twitter (@mattdisanto_) to stay in touch.

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