It’s due to the surge in COVID cases. Robert Kovacik reports for the NBC4 News on Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021.
University of California college campuses are going back to remote learning.
With cases multiplying by the day, health officials are scrambling to slow the spread.
The UC system has made a decision not to take any chances when it comes to the health of faculty, staff, and students.
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Students are already home for the holidays, and now they’re going to stay home a little longer.
UCLA and six other campuses, including Irvine and Riverside announced that the 2022 winter quarter will begin with two weeks of online instruction, though housing and dining halls will be open on some campuses.
Students are advised to stay home and learn remotely as omicron cases continue to surge.
"I think it’s a good idea," said UCLA senior Elena Moreno. "Honestly, I think it’s hard to really connect with students if you can’t tell who’s been vaccinated and who hasn’t because not everyone’s been vaccinated yet."
"So I know they’re doing COVID tests and they’re managing them on our portals, but I think it’s a good ideas for now to go remote."
It’s going to make things a lot easier on students, stresswise at least.
At UCLA, students and staff will also need to be regularly tested during the delay and will need to make sure when they return, they can show proof of having a booster shot.
On Tuesday night, a statement to the UCLA community reads, "this new safety protocol will help us to quickly identify the presence of COVID-19 in our community while limiting major disruption of campus activities and reducing the risk of serious reducing the risk of serious complications from COVID-19."
Loyola Marymount, a private university on the Westside of Los Angeles, will join that two-week club and have virtual online instruction for the first two weeks in January when they return to class.
USC says not at this point, but they are still assessing the situation. UC Davis says they’re only going to do it for one week.
Merced and Berkeley are not scheduled to go back until Jan. 18.
That's the day when all UC campuses should begin classroom instruction on campus.
The president of the UC, however, says that date could change and will continue to be reassessed as they continue to watch the severity of the omicron variant.
