ATLANTA (WUPA) -- Atlanta-based Morris Brown College has announced that the school is reinstating its Covid mask mandate for the next two weeks as a result of positive cases at the Atlanta University Center.

The historically black college posted a note on its official Instagram account noting that the protocols would be in effect for the next 14 days. This includes a requirement for mask-wearing by students and employees, physical distancing, contact tracing, and other significant efforts to reduce the spread of Covid-19 among the population on the Atlanta campus. 

Recent information from the Centers for Disease Control indicates that a new Covid variant has become more prevalent across Georgia, with a rise in hospitalizations of up to 30% across the state.  

"This is what endemic means -- it doesn't go away," said Dr. Jayne Morgan, executive director of Health and Community Education at Piedmont Healthcare. "We know now, with this heat wave, so many people have been driven indoors, when we're usually outdoors. We're also traveling a lot during the summer, so we're carrying the virus from one group to the next."

Medical experts have indicated that they are watching new variants like EG.5, which the World Health Organization has determined is a variant of interest. 

Morgan says vaccinations, hand hygiene and knowing when to wear masks, and limiting social interactions are vital at this point in time. She recommends that anyone having symptoms should see a doctor as soon as possible -- especially given that there are a limited number of at-home testing kits available. 

There is no word, at present, if any of the other collegiate institutions at the AU Center -- including Morehouse College, Spelman College, and Clark Atlanta University -- are planning to return to mask mandates. 

In:
• COVID-19
• Education
• Atlanta