But they’re making you wait all weekend to know for sure?! That seems downright cruel!
Um… that’s not true for MA. Gyms are open, hair salons are open, stores and malls are open, and restaurants have outdoor seating and indoor seating at reduced capacity. We have been fairly open here since early July. They are now pausing the next step because test average % positive has ticked up to 2%. . The rules that schools have been planning to apply to college campuses are much stricter than those for the general public.
D20’s school has a pretty restrictive plan. Mandatory universal quarantine on campus for ALL students for 14 days, negative test 3 days before arrival (school bought their own equipment, mailing collection kits to students and providing envelopes to mail them back), negative test upon arrival, and another after 10 days later, strict rules about staying in rooms with bathroom and outdoor rec schedules and food delivery coupled with zero tolerance for infractions that result in being sent home. A video message from the university president today has him saying he won’t ask students to do anything he won’t do himself so he will be moving into a dorm room, staying there, following the rules and schedules, and eating the delivered meals. In his words “we do this together so we can be together”. I am incredibly impressed by their plan and think they have a good chance at making this work.
@me29034 hm. Ok. Sorry about that. Then maybe the biggest problem with colleges being more “open” is the dorm issue? And maybe the number that can gather is an issue too.
Does MA have people from most states quarantiniing when they come? If so, that also puts colleges in a tough spot.
My point is that Covid phases determined by the state government is why certain states have more schools open that others. Texas colleges seem to be all back!
Everyone entering MA (except for a few states, mostly new england, ny, nj) has to quarantine or have proof of testing neg. within 72 hours of arrival. This has been a big issue for colleges-mostly for parents. If they are dropping off a child and leaving the state right away, then they are exempt, but if not, they will need to be tested before arriving (no easy feat depending on where you live). Kids are being tested upon arrival at most schools, so they are all set once test results are received. Even MA residents who are leaving the state to drop kids off at school have to quarantine upon return. I have heard that if you are flying, you need to fill out paperwork so you can be tracked. I am in a vacation area in MA right now and can say that this new Quarantine rule has not stopped people from coming here - it is packed with people!
^^But, @homerdog you’re not totally wrong. A simple thing like wearing a mask the minute I exit my apartment is second nature to me in NYC as well as when I am in CT. How many kids from outside the NE are going to have to get used to that now?
@circuitrider , I’m across the river and I sure do wish that putting on the mask was “second nature” to a lot more people around here! I feel like one of those nasty old ladies shaking her cane at younger people and croaking, “You darn kids put your masks on!!” I now have ZERO patience for people being lax about it (no–it DOESN’T work if you wear it around your wrist or your neck!).
This is interesting https://www.channel3000.com/beloit-college-waives-tuition-for-students-ninth-tenth-semesters-amid-covid-19/
I’m inclined to be a bit more charitable in that I suspect the state directives came down midweek, maybe, and our president wants to announce to faculty and staff before announcing to the public on the website. Also keep in mind that we have had power outages b/c of Storm Isaias across the state and the university has been closed for the last two days. This is a bitter pill because we need the room and board revenue and we market ourselves as providing a more personal and individualized experience than the state schools (whether it’s true or not, not going to get into that here), and now we can’t do that.
K-12 district my kid graduated from voted two weeks ago to be full time in person, five days a week, masks required for 4th grade and up.
This afternoon they delayed the start of school by 2 weeks, and also extended the deadline to opt for the virtual option by two weeks.
Positive rate in the adjacent big city was 19.6% over the last two weeks.
Another thing to keep an eye on is the development of at least two antibody therapies that pharmaceutical companies have in advanced trials. These possible treatments may well be widely available before any of the vaccines, and if they can reduce mortality and serious complications, they could allow for a return to a more normal way of life. Lots of ifs for sure, but there is real promise there.
My kids in Maryland and my daughter in San Diego have been wearing masks since April. It’s not just folks in NE.
Therapeutic antibodies for prophylaxis or infection treatment will be administered by injection. Those working in this area think that an injection will go a long way, providing protection in uninfected persons for months potentially, so yes, this would be an important advance.
My daughter just received communication from her coach that they will have staggered practices in small groups (10 girls) and be tested 2x per week. I am sure there will be more updates, but I think this is good news.
@User2987456 , I Think if dorms close the dining halls shut down as well, it makes sense most of the kids who use them live on campus.
The NYS governor is letting districts decide whether or not to reopen in person, but plans have to be approved by the state.
[Syracuse.com School Updates](How is your school reopening? See 63 Central New York school district coronavirus plans - syracuse.com) is compiling a list of plans (organized by county).
The options our district announced are a choice between online and hybrid defined as follows:
Online: 5 days of full day, fully online, synchronous learning with an assigned teacher.
Hybrid: The students will be split into 2 groups. Group A will be in school full days on Monday & Tuesday while Group B is given assignments to do at home (with little to no teacher interaction since their teachers will be busy teaching the other group).
Everyone has a full day of synchronous online classes on Wednesday.
On Thursday and Friday Group B is in school while Group A is doing assignments at home.
The district will make arrangements for students who get free breakfast and lunch to continue to receive them.
Students who receive services from the schools (those with IEPs, etc.) will have increased levels of face to face learning (3+5 days) depending on the levels of services they normally receive.
@Luckyjade2024 - But in a state that has almost 16,000 dead and I think every other major school in NJ went remote, Rutgers, TCNJ… I do agree the timing sucks and Princeton played a pretty heavy hand regarding gap years. Also NJ number s have been climbing lately.
Maybe I’m overthinking it, but I think considering that it’s a Friday, it’s a good sign that Amherst didn’t send out a cancellation email today; I think they would be very unlikely to send it over a weekend, plus by the time the weekend is over, there will be only 5 days left until move-in starts, which is extremely close (to be fair, Duke sent out an email late Sunday, but that was only because a staff member leaked the plan before they were planning to release it on Monday). As @homerdog said, “For these schools moving in next week, they can’t pivot much later than today.” For reference, move-in starts on August 15th, which is Saturday next week.
@homerdog - But the rules are different I am sorry to say, I go to Ohio in 4 days as a dad dropping off my kid in Cincinnati so I have to/ am asked , ( got to be honest not really sure which in NJ ) take a covid time out for 14 days, BUT if I went to Ohio in 4 days on business , say to see Kroger HQ and came back to NJ I would be good , no covid time out bc I am considered a business traveler. I get why they ( NJ ) does it you need truck drivers crossing state lines and essential work has to be done but it does seem kinda of silly that I can drive the same 11 hours, stay in the same hotel, go to the same places and depending on why I am there eI get a covid timeout of 14 days.
@helpingmom40 - I am impressed that he would live with the kids like that, what school is it?