Masking Now Required For State Employees, Regardless of Vaccination

Gov. Tony Evers has directed state employees to wear face masks indoors regardless of whether they’ve been vaccinated against the coronavirus.

New guidance from the Wisconsin Department of Administration notes that the move is due to the increased spread of the COVID-19 delta variant in the U.S. and follows guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

“Therefore, all state employees, contractor staff, and unvaccinated members of the public are required to properly wear face coverings while in state facilities,” said the DOA guidance document. “Additionally, all employees and contractor staff are required to properly wear face coverings in other enclosed buildings while on state business.”

Vaccinated members of the public are encouraged but not required to wear face masks inside state-owned buildings. Citizens who have not been vaccinated must wear them in state buildings.

Evers has said he won’t issue a statewide mask mandate for residents, despite the CDC recommendation that people wear them indoors. In March, the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down Evers’ prior mask mandate for all Wisconsinites.

The DOA mask requirements apply to some parts of the Wisconsin State Capitol that are under the agency’s jurisdiction, according to a spokesperson. Those include common areas like the rotunda, bathrooms, elevators and hallways.

While the DOA order doesn’t apply to University of Wisconsin System campuses, UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee and UW-La Crosse have reinstituted indoor mask requirements for students and employees regardless of their vaccination status.

Some private universities and technical colleges have also acted to reimpose mask mandates. Bellin College in Green Bay, Herzing University in Menomonee Falls, Northland College in Ashland and Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee all require masks in buildings.

Milwaukee Area Technical College will issue an indoor mask mandate for all students and employees on Aug. 9. Madison Area Technical College issued its mask mandate for campus buildings Thursday.

State Employees Required To Wear Facemasks In State Buildings Regardless Of Vaccinations was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.