NEW ORLEANS — Tulane University is reissuing its COVID-19 mask mandates after finding new probable cases of the Omicron variant within the university's community.
A message posted on the university's official Twitter account says that starting Friday everyone on campus, regardless of vaccination status, must wear the face coverings inside campus buildings.
"Now is the time to recommit ourselves to the protocols that we know are effective in limiting the spread of this virus so that everyone can enjoy their holiday plans, and have a happy, healthy winter break," university President Michael A Fitts wrote in a letter to the community.
Fitts said that free mask dispensers will be placed in some campus buildings for students and staff that do not have masks.
"We also encourage moving all non-essential gatherings where food and drinks are served to an outdoor location and continuing to follow all CDC guidance.," Fitts wrote.
Louisiana's Department of Health reported 20 additional COVID-19 Omicron variant cases on Thursday, bringing the total number of cases in the state to 37. The first Omicron case in Louisiana was identified on Dec. 3.
Tulane's COVID-19 dashboard reports that there were 88 active cases of COVID-19 within the campus community as of Thursday, the vast majority of those cases among students. On Monday, the university said it would ramp up testing of students and staff for the next 10 days after an Omicron variant case was identified in a test administered by a graduate student living off-campus.
“We are going to ramp it up this week through the remainder of December to see what the trends are and get a handle on it,” said Dr. David Mushatt with Tulane University School of Medicine.
State health leaders and the Centers for Disease Control recommend that everyone five years or older should get vaccinated, and those 18 years or older should get a booster shot if eligible.
"While we are closely monitoring the number of Omicron cases on campus, it is important to remember that the high frequency of our asymptomatic testing means that we are able to detect many COVID-19 cases that would otherwise go unnoticed," Fitts wrote. "Also, our ability to sequence this new variant (technology few other entities in the city and state have) means that we are much more likely to detect its presence."
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.