ISU distributes KN95 masks to campus

Jan. 19—NORMAL — Illinois State University is distributing KN95 masks to students and employees as it gets ready for in-person classes to resume on Monday.

The university announced last week it had procured a batch of the masks that it would distribute to the campus community for free. The masks are believed to provide better protection against the omicron variant than cloth masks.

Distribution started Tuesday, with more information for students expected throughout the week, said spokesperson Eric Jome. The masks come in packages of two per person, so students and employees are still encouraged to get their own if they can.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its mask guidance on Jan. 14 to say that N95 and KN95 masks, which are technically considered respirators, are appropriate for day-to-day wear. It had earlier discouraged their widespread use to reserve supplies for medical workers.

ISU started the semester with two weeks of remote learning due to the surge in COVID cases across the country and in Bloomington-Normal. Students are also required to test negative before returning to campus.

Contact Connor Wood at (309)820-3240. Follow Connor on Twitter: @connorkwood

___

(c)2022 The Pantagraph (Bloomington, Ill.)

Visit The Pantagraph (Bloomington, Ill.) at www.pantagraph.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.