Virus Outbreak Colleges FILE – Students walk near the Widener Library at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., Aug. 13, 2019. Harvard University has announced plans for a return to campus for the spring semester, after students spend the first three weeks taking classes from home. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File) (Charles Krupa)
CAMBRIDGE — Harvard University has announced plans to get its students back on campus for in-person learning for the spring semester.
In statement posted to its website, the university says “As we plan for an in-person spring semester, the important “circuit breaker” we announced for the first three weeks of January allows us the opportunity to gain more information about the evolving public health situation, to lower the risk of on-campus transmission following holiday travel and gatherings, to reduce the pace at which new cases must be managed by limited University resources, and to provide time for community members to meet the University’s booster requirement, which must be met by January 31.”
“While we can expect to have large numbers of cases at Harvard, our community benefits from near-universal vaccination. Among people who are fully vaccinated and boosted, early data indicate that the Omicron variant causes less severe symptoms than infections with previous variants. The diminished severity of infection means that on-campus activities pose less health risk than before, enabling us to advance the University’s teaching and research mission while continuing to protect the health and safety of our community.” according to the statement.
Harvard says it will “encourage” masking and has updated its isolation and quarantine protocols to align with the recently modified guidance from the CDC and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health – “infected individuals who have no symptoms or whose symptoms are resolving with no fever may end strict isolation after five days but must wear a mask at all times when leaving their homes (this means no dining with others and no other mask-free activities) until after ten days.”
Harvard announced its plan to require booster shoots in December.
“Verification of your COVID-19 booster is required by January 31. If you are not yet eligible to receive the booster, your deadline will be 30 days after you become eligible,” according to the statement.”
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