BSU, NTC Extending Mask Mandate to January 31

On Monday, Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College in Bemidji announced that they will be extending their mask mandate for public indoor spaces into the spring semester, through January 31, 2022.

On September 27, it was announced that the indoor mask mandate for both BSU and NTC would be extended through the end of the fall semester. The date expected as the end of the masking period was Friday, December 17.

With the spring semester approaching, the mask mandate will still be in place, and faculty, staff, visitors, and students will need to continue wearing masks until at least January 31. According to a release, this extension is guided by COVID-19 transmission rates within Beltrami County, making it very unlikely that the schools will see conditions that will allow them to lift the mask mandate before January 31.

The release also said that it’s highly likely that the mask mandate will be extended beyond January 31.