The whole “You can remove your mask indoors to eat & drink” loophole is laughable. So, while sitting in a tightly packed basketball coliseum (or restaurant), none of the hundreds of people sitting near each other, eating & drinking without masks, are in danger of transmitting Covid because…why? Because Covid looks the other way when people are engaging in this loophole? This is a behavior that Covid has approved of and has agreed not to transmit during?
But we need to segregate the rest of the student population with remote leaning and make them take boxed food and eat it elsewhere because they’re the ones threatening people’s health
That’s our experience too. The only indoor space that we’ve been to that actually checked cards and ID was the opera house. Will be interesting if that changes tomorrow when the county wide vaccine mandate goes into effect.
I would agree if a school says, we are online for one or two weeks to allow all students , even those sick to begin class together. BUT many of these schools are saying, this is our plan, but we could extend it. Then again, if by Feb 1st, we are still have a fire of omicron in this country without any downward trend, we have bigger issues.
With regards to all the rulesThe hypocracy though is real though. Its just theatre to show that the schools are “looking out for the students and staff”, but really are not.
72 hour negative test -we’ll ignore the fact that they don’t actually look which has been anecdotally stated - 72 hours is meaningless with omicron - 10,000 potentially unvaccinated - but no inperson classes - it’s some serious ■■■■■■■■.
Realistically, lots of things are done for theater purposes, because the general public wants to see those who appear to have the power to do something about a problem (whether COVID-19, terrorism, racism, crime, fuel prices, homelessness, etc.) do something about it (even if they really have less power to do something about it than the general public thinks they have and/or what they do is ineffective or very high cost relative to the amount of the problem that is solved or mitigated).
The college administration are seen by both the college community (students, faculty, staff) and the local community as those in power to do something about COVID-19. If the college community and local community are not comfortable with just letting it rip, then the college administration feels pressure to do something about it, even if the something is unlikely to be successful. Meanwhile, there are other competing pressures (e.g. sports, preference for in-person education, quarantine housing shortages, testing shortages, faculty and staff sickness, etc.) that they have to contend with.
The easiest people to target for action are the undergrads. The faculty could fuss, the staff might be unionized, the adults who are actually more vulnerable and more at risk would never accept onerous restrictions on their own gathering, travel or eating. But kids 18-22, who themselves have Iittle risk of their own illness, are easy targets.
A college that wants to try to mitigate COVID-19 in a way that is more than just theater may want to do something like this (applied to all students, faculty, and staff):
Require vaccination with medical exemptions only. Have vaccines readily available to those who were not able to get vaccinated otherwise (e.g. international students from places with limited vaccine availability) or who want boosters.
Indoor mask requirement, either N95 / KF94 / KN95 level or surgical mask with a fitted cloth mask on top (to close the side gaps). Provide N95 / KF94 / KN95 masks.
Rapid testing every day when the person wants to enter an indoor or crowded outdoor campus facility (including classrooms, sports facilities, gyms, etc.). Encourage testing for those who want to enter an indoor off-campus facility that day. Provide sufficient rapid tests.
Maintain online / distance education infrastructure so that students who get sick (of anything) can attend class remotely, and instructors who get sick can do their class remotely, so that there is less of an educational penalty for testing positive or getting sick and therefore less of an incentive to come to class when sick.
Set up outdoor dining areas at dining halls, and improve ventilation and air filtration in dining halls and other high risk indoor spaces.
I went to an outdoor college sporting event back in September where we had to show vaccine cards and our ID before they let us in. The only game all season that required it and not being a top D1 program, the stadium was um, ridiculously uncrowded anyway. No masks needed tho b/c we were outside.
S21’s university just sent out new protocols for attending basketball games. Their mens’ program is in the top 25. Must show vax card with ID or a negative covid test. I really don’t see how that’s going to help much in a packed arena with students screaming. And, tho masks are required they are still serving food and drink…
Meanwhile S19’s university is only allowing 50% capacity at all indoor events, whether it’s a basketball game or a musical performance. Not like their games ever have more than 50% capacity. . No food or drinks being served at any indoor events, and masks required.
Exactly. Most venues don’t verify the actual name on the vaccination card to an ID.
It’s also extremely easy to get fake vaccination cards (and not very costly) and/or manipulate a real card’s image.
I mean, lots of undergrads have had to change the birthdate on an image of their vaccination card to match the birthdate on their fake IDs…people know these things, right?
I never suggested the standards for spectators are completely fool-proof, nor that I even endorse having fans in stands.
I responded to an ignorant suggestion paraphrased as- athletes are exposed so why can’t we expose students in the classroom. The poster was seemingly unaware of the testing and other precautions that student athletes must adhere to. Universities have an obligation to protect students participating in campus activities whether it be students earning their athletic scholarships, attending classes or living in the dormitories. In all of these activities, students do not get to choose whether s/he can participate. Spectators are not forced to attend games; they have the option of accepting or rejecting the risks associated with attendance.
You don’t need to get a fake. Just forget your vaccine card when you get your booster and they will give you a new one (as long as they have a record of your prior vaccines). Then you’ll have 2 and can share with a friend. Most are not checking IDs. And it’s all theater, omicron doesn’t care if you are vaxxed.
Edited to add: In no way suggesting people do this - it’s just showing how the process for these colleges to verify information is filled with holes
Actually, vaccines still have some effectiveness against infection by Omicron, even though effectiveness is lower than before. They also retain significant effectiveness against more severe outcomes.
So getting vaccinated or colleges requiring vaccination is more than just theater, even though that alone will not suffice to stop spread.
This is probably directed at me, someone who is quite knowledgeable about the testing that many athletes undergo, sometimes on a daily basis.
My point was that the spectators ARE the students, and if it’s safe for them to watch a basketball game for which many have season tickets, it’s safe for them to go to class. Seems simple.
I don’t see anyone here saying being vaccinated won’t give you a less severe outcome regarding Omicron. The quote you posted verifies that is the case too. I do see people saying that many vaccinated individuals will still get Omicron. That’s the difference.
Since college campuses are some of the most highly vaccinated places and are home to mostly low risk individuals it seems like they are bring treated rather harshly regarding restrictions.
Vaccines are very effective against serious disease, and I’m thankful I got all 3. The point is, for omicron, checking vaccine cards for a college basketball game is theater since 1) the cards are unverifiable 2) vaccinated people are spreading omicron (inadvertently) just as easily as unvaxxed.
I’m glad that colleges require student to be vaxxed, but I don’t think checking vax status is effective for group settings on campus.
The post I quoted outlines how one can get a duplicate vax card for a friend, and claims that vaccine requirements are “all theater.” The poster has repeatedly compared omicron to the common cold or flu, so no.
The reasons for restrictions like temporary online classes and grab-n-go meals have been explained repeatedly. Some choose to ignore these explanations and instead dwell on whaddabouts and other tangents that don’t really address the practical crisis that colleges are about to face. In-person classes aren’t a viable if half the students and professors are quarantining.
Boston College appears to have no grab and go, no separate quarantine housing and no remote learning. Parents of BC students can share more details, but this is all I see - a TEMPORARY mask requirement until 1/31 (in addition to bringing a negative test):
Temporary Masking Period: January 14-31, 2022
Given upcoming global and domestic travel by members of the BC community, as well as the current high levels of transmissibility of the Omicron variant, the University will institute a temporary masking requirement on campus whenever physical distancing cannot be maintained. This masking period will be from Friday, January 14, corresponding with the return of students, through Monday, January 31, 2022.
Maintain online / distance education infrastructure so that students who get sick (of anything) can attend class remotely, and instructors who get sick can do their class remotely, so that there is less of an educational penalty for testing positive or getting sick and therefore less of an incentive to come to class when sick.
Remote options are needed not only for when students or faculty get sick, but as an accommodation for those who are older or have medical conditions- students or faculty- and have submitted documentation with a request to continue virtually.
. No food or drinks being served at any indoor events, and masks required.