Universities need to have mask discussion, says UNSW deputy

The degree to which Australian universities have opened up mostly reflects the prevalence of Covid-19 in the community, with more on-campus activities available in jurisdictions such as Western Australia and Tasmania than in states on the eastern seaboard – and Victorian campuses once again closed to most students after a resurgence of coronavirus cases.

Similar circumstances apply across New Zealand, where a resurgence of cases in Auckland forced the reimposition of stricter lockdown measures than elsewhere in the country.

Across the region, most universities have adopted standard safety measures such as social distancing, hand hygiene and signing into class. Few universities have mandated the wearing of face masks.

That could change as research findings endorse face masks as a safety measure and their use becomes more prevalent in the community. “We need to have that discussion because our scientists have shown how effective they are,” said UNSW Sydney deputy vice-chancellor Merlin Crossley.

However, measures to open up campuses have not been hotly debated, for several reasons. One is that even in states with few active coronavirus cases, universities must maintain parallel online services for the tens of thousands of international students stranded offshore.

Australian students tend to enrol in nearby universities, unlike their counterparts in the US and the UK, where many people travel further to study, and semester two is already under way on most Antipodean campuses.

john.ross@timeshighereducation.com