Mask requirement ending at South Dakota public universities

May 5, 2021

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota’s six public universities will no longer require people to wear masks beginning next week. T

he state Board of Regents last July mandated that masks be worn in all public indoor spaces on campuses, at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic showed steep growth in South Dakota and other Midwest states.

At the suggestion of college presidents, facemasks will be optional starting on Monday.

Regents executive director and CEO Brian Maher says administrators will continue to monitor conditions and make “the best decisions possible” with information available to them.

Regents announced earlier that campus operations should return to normal in the fall.