At Columbia University, social gatherings were allowed with no capacity restrictions starting Feb. 7, and eating and drinking were allowed at indoor gatherings beginning Feb. 14.
The positivity rate is no longer falling. For the past two weeks, it seems to be levelling off at an elevated level around 0.8%.
Barnard College at Columbia also is breaking their previous downward trend in the current week with an uptick doubling to .73%. Still, as of March 1, they will reduce twice-weekly mandatory testing to once-weekly - although students may choose to test more frequently.
Seems like 1-2 times per week testing is theater, or they just want to know if they have an outbreak when it is too late to do anything about it. This would be especially the case if they use PCR tests that give results 2-3 days later.
Rapid tests every day before the student enters campus would be a more useful form of surveillance or precautionary testing.
The latter. Managing an outbreak requires that you learn of it happening. This way you make informed decisions.
Yes, PCR test using their dedicated testing resources, thus results appear the next day on the studentās access-pass app.
Instead they had opted for two weeks remote classes at the beginning of the semester, to allow for staggered move-in and to get everyone PCR tested on-site. This way any necessary isolations could be completed before in-person classes commenced - a strategy that ultimately was confirmed by the stream of numbers.
Obviously, the reason why that University and College even has solid indications week-to-week (even mid-week) which way things are trending, is due to them having collected actual data.
At the end you decide, whether this kind of data-driven approach is not suitable for your student and have them apply/attend elsewhere. For the people actually ālivingā it, this seems to be a well-rehearsed, smooth process that hasnāt created any issues.
RIT after spring break is going to relax mask mandates. They are down to 2 cases a day, but testing is not madatory. Interestingly they say wastewater shows a big downward trend
Hope College is relaxing their masking requirements as of today, although masks are still required in classrooms. The email about the new policy ended with the following admonition:
As we move away from universal mask mandates, this new phase will be one that requires us to emphasize discernment as we show care and concern for each other. We remain mindful of the diverse needs of our campus community. While difficult for all, the pandemic has been particularly challenging for members of our community who are at higher risk for infection and therefore are more vigilant about precautions.
Please help us be a fully supportive community by continuing to live into our Christian calling to be loving and welcoming to all students, staff and faculty. Continue to carry your mask with you, and if someone asks you to put it on in their presence, please love your neighbor and wear the mask without questioning them.
The Broad Institute has continued to turn around PCR tests amazingly quickly, especially when you factor in the travel time from CT to Cambridge. Results are usually posted in My Chart within 12 hours. I imagine that Boston area schools are seeing results even faster.
D said one of her professors tested positive. She said sheās glad sheās still wearing mask. I told D20 and S21 to always wear mask in public even if restrictions are being removed or revised.
D20ās school is still requiring KN95 (or comparable) masks in all indoor spaces (except for dorm rooms and while eating). They are still testing 1xweek. Her school uses Broad Institute and students get results within 12 hours. The rest of the restrictions were dropped after the first (remote) week of classes ended.
They have been extremely conservative with COVID measures, so I donāt really anticipate big changes for the remainder of the semester. D20 doesnāt love wearing the KN95 mask for hours on end (I donāt blame her), but other than that, no complaints. Sheās very happy at her school.
I donāt love this idea that schools are supposed to be āpunishedā for their mitigation strategies (or lack thereof). While it should certainly be a factor to consider for students choosing schools (or choosing to remain where they are currently matriculated), to me that is more a matter of āfitā, just like the many other variables one should consider when choosing where to attend. It shouldnāt be done as some sort of retaliatory action, aimed to try to influence a schoolās position on things.
I donāt think a student is punishing a school for not selecting a school with very conservative mitigation strategies. I donāt see it as retaliation; I see it as that place is not for me and Iām going elsewhere.
Honestly, Iāve been a strong advocate of masking, vaccines, etc, but I would discourage my S22 from attending a school still taking such conservative measures.
Of course itās up to each student but I wasnāt thrilled that the prof took a vote. Kids who want to keep them on should. Our D has been boosted and has had Covid so sheās safe without a mask now.
Iām curious, with a vote indicating that the majority of people in your Dās classroom community would feel better/safer with masks, is there a reason she or you donāt feel responsible for supporting that community for the short time sheās in the classroom regardless of her personal risk?
Iām truly seeking to understand your reaction.
Because we do not need to all be wearing masks anymore. Cases are down. Mask mandates lifted. Itās not about supporting the community. What would be the situation where you think we should be able to decide for ourselves? Two years of class in masks. This is a dance class Iām talking about which makes it even harder to stay in masks and those who are concerned are welcome to mask.
I prefer the Hope College approach of keeping masks in place for classrooms for now, and reminding people to put a mask on whenever asked by someone else without questioning their justification. I donāt reallly understand the purpose of a āvoteā if itās really a majority rules situation. But the fact that the professor is doing the vote anonymously is a recognition that someone might feel peer pressured not to voice their concern.
My vaxxed and boosted D is infected and experiencing Covid symptoms right now. Presumably sheās safe from serious complications but she definitely has unpleasant flu-like symptoms and is feeling pretty miserable today.
But I work in a K-12 situation and masks are optional. We donāt ask kids or teachers to put on masks. Itās completely optional. I donāt see why it would be different in a college situation. Your D got Covid from the person she lives with, not from a class where she was masked and others were not.
There have been recent articles written about how an N95 protects quite well even if the person is around those without masks. Isnāt that the phase weāve moved into?
Itās true that she got Covid from the person she lives with, but HE got it from going to an unmasked indoor event. He went to an optional indoor event (a party) compared to a required indoor event (a class).
Itās interesting to see the different approaches. Hope College never mandated the vaccine, although they definitely encouraged it. But they did mandate indoor masking. Iām sure they will eventually go to mask optional in the classrooms, maybe after spring break (just a guess). But they will also continue to push people to be considerate of the concerns and wishes of those who feel the need to be more vigilant.
And so he caught Covid while he was unmasked and others were as well. I guess my point is that those who want to continue to protect themselves can wear a mask to class. These same kids are going to the dining hall to eat and presumably in their dorms without masks so I donāt understand why they want masks on everyone in a dance class in a huge studio with nine students. Now, if one of them was immune compromised and wearing a mask everywhere including her dorm and taking all to go meals, that would maybe be a different case but we know these kids are all out on campus around unmasked kids all of the time now.
We go to mask optional next Monday (PreK to 5 school), but many places around the metro area still require masks. At school, optional means optional and the parents can decide for the kids and we arenāt allowed to ask them to wear masks any more, even though we have about 100 kids under age 5 who canāt be vaccinated and man more who arenāt.
I was at a CU basketball game recently and there was a mask mandate which the ushers āblamedā on the city/county ordinance. Now thatās been dropped and masks are still required at CU. The school was very happy to āblameā the city when it was convenient, but as soon as the government dropped the requirement, the school put its own in place. School feels it is working.