CREDIT: Mai Ly Degnan for NPR
The South Dakota Board of Regents says all state universities plan to ease COVID-19 restrictions this fall.
Six public universities and two special schools will and add more in-person classes and events.
Kurt Hackemer is the provost of the University of South Dakota. He says USD will phase out social distancing measures and mask mandates beginning late August.
“For the fall semester, we are planning for a return to normal classroom activities, normal social activities on campus, a normal event schedule, normal event practices. That would mean classes that are at full capacity. That would mean hopefully no masks and that would also mean no social distancing.”
Hackemer says the decision comes in response to South Dakota’s low positivity rates and widespread vaccine availability.
University officials say current plans may change if COVID cases start to rise.