Eastern Wyoming College in Torrington has temporarily closed its cosmetology and barbering departments to the public due because the students and staff in the departments have been exposed to the coronavirus, the college announced Thursday.
The departments have canceled all appointments through Sept. 10, with plans to resume on Sept. 13. The departments offer esthetician services such as haircuts, shampoos, hair coloring and even manicure and pedicures.
This news comes just a few days after the college was forced to cancel four volleyball games scheduled for this weekend due to players either being infected with the virus or in quarantine due to exposure.
On Monday, the campus had five active cases, but Goshen County as of Thursday had 83 active cases.
While EWC does not require the use of facemasks, it is recommending that students who have not received the coronavirus vaccine wear face coverings while on campus.
Meanwhile, the board of directors for Goshen County School District No. 1 was to meet Thursday evening to discuss adopting a mask mandate for Torrington students in grades K-12.
Schools across Wyoming are working to set facemask policies as the state’s infection rate continues to climb. Over the weekend, the state saw more than 1,000 new laboratory-confirmed cases of coronavirus and by Thursday, the state had more than 4,100 active cases.
The debate has been vigorous in some communities, with Cheyenne schools deciding against a mandate after several lengthy meetings that saw constituents arguing with school board members. So far, only schools in Jackson, Laramie and Sheridan have adopted mask mandates, although schools in Hot Springs County have turned to virtual classes to prevent the spread of the illness.
Of all of Wyoming’s higher learning systems, only the University of Wyoming has chosen to implement a mask mandate, which is set to expire later this month.
