City of Dayton’s new masking requirements won’t affect UD policies

The Dayton City Commission voted on Wednesday to reinstate a mask mandate in all public buildings. Photo of the Dayton skyline.

Kaitlin Lewis | Online Editor-in-Chief 

The City of Dayton reinstated a mask ordinance for public indoor buildings Wednesday after a unanimous decision by the city commission. 

In a press release on Monday, the Dayton City Commission said the ordinance was first proposed at the meeting after Public Health – Dayton & Montgomery County asked municipal governments to enact mask requirements in light of the recent surge in COVID-19 cases.

Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley told Dayton Daily News Wednesday that while she knows masks can be uncomfortable, the ordinance is important for keeping Dayton citizens safe. 

“We know it’s not popular to everyone,” Whaley said. “That is not our job. But it is our job to keep our people safe.”

According to PHDMC, the average daily COVID-19 case count during the month of September is almost 1.5 times higher than the daily case count in August. As of Thursday, the rate of hospitalizations due to COVID-19 in Montgomery County rose by 10% in the last seven days. 

The University of Dayton has not seen a peak in COVID-19 cases like in the fall of 2020. As of Sept. 15, the university had only 22 reported active cases. 

Robin Oldfield, UD’s associate vice president of audit, risk and compliance and chief risk officer, said the city’s new mask ordinance does not generally change the university’s policies, however masks are now required for sporting events in the Frericks Center.

“Details on events at UD Arena are forthcoming,” Oldfield said in an email to Flyer News on Thursday. “Masks already are required at The Hub. Shared residential areas on campus such as common areas, lobbies, etc., are exempt from the city’s ordinance because it only applies to buildings open to everyone.”

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