More changes are on the way affecting dining hall procedures, masking and more.
In an email sent Wednesday, Jan.12, Cabrini University’s Dean of Students and Chair of the COVID-19 Task Force, Dr. Stephen Rupprecht, announced guidelines for the university for the upcoming spring semester. Yet, these mitigation measures are subject to change as the pandemic still rages on and as the country has had a surge in COVID-19 cases.
In-Person opening
Consistent with the majority of other colleges in the country, Cabrini decided to continue in-person for the spring semester as of right now. Cabrini officials believe that their compliance with mitigation requirements, the new booster requirement and other reasons supported their decision to be in-person.
Boosters required
The Cabrini community received an email on Tuesday, Jan.11, where President Donald Taylor informed the community that Cabrini will be requiring a booster for the spring semester. Students, faculty and staff will need to have their booster shot by Friday, Feb. 11. Upon getting your booster all employees and students must fill out the Vaccination update form and upload a picture of your new or updated vaccination card.
Community members who have filed out the exemption are also exempt from the booster requirement.
“Getting your booster before returning to campus will not only better protect you should you get infected with COVID-19,” Rupprecht, said. ”But it will also keep you from having to quarantine if you are exposed to someone with COVID-19.”
Masks
Cabrini has decided to keep the mask requirement in all indoor settings on campus since the Omicron variant is a lot more transmissible than previous variants. They recommend getting N95, KN95 and surgical-grade masks since they provide increased protection. Cabrini also recommends having a sufficient supply of masks before arriving on campus.
Infographic by Sydnee Reddy.
Take out dining
Cabrini has decided that all dining on campus will be on a “to-go” basis to start the spring semester. This decision comes from the university wanting to limit any indoor interaction where masks may not be required. Chairs and tables in Cav’s Corner and The Grill will be unavailable until Cabrini decides to bring back in-person dining.
Testing
In the email, Cabrini officials state that they expect people with symptoms and exposed individuals to test for COVID-19 when they are recommended by the Director of Health Services and are better prepared to do some testing on campus. Cabrini will not conduct testing when students arrive on campus and will not require a negative test result to return to campus. Cabrini does encourage at-home testing and COVID-safe behavior before arriving on campus to ensure the safety of yourself and others.
If you have any further questions about Cabrini’s COVID-19 protocols for this semester or returning to campus email return@cabrini.edu.
