Stanford University Might Remove Restricted Activity for Fully Vaccinated Students in Winter Quarter

Stanford University has announced that it is aiming to eliminate any periods of restricted activity for fully vaccinated students during the winter quarter, beginning January 3, 2022.

According to a Monday email by Provost Persis Drell and Associate Vice Provost for Environmental Health and Safety Russell Furr, the university expects to emphasize the testing and continued masking for the beginning of the quarter.

The email adds that graduate students with new on-campus housing contracts will be allowed to move in, starting December 31, while undergraduate residences are expected to open on January 1, Erudera.com reports.

“We expect to adjust our return protocols for students to provide for a smooth return process, even within the relatively short window for move-in. We will provide more information in early December about this,” the email notes.  

COVID-19 testing will also be available but not mandatory for Stanford students and employees remaining on campus during winter, specifically between December 20 and 27.

Stanford removed the weekly COVID-19 testing requirement for fully vaccinated students in July. However, in August, the university decided to reimpose the requirement for all students after seven fully vaccinated students tested positive for COVID-19.

Since then, students have been asked to perform COVID-19 tests on a weekly basis during the fall semester, regardless of their vaccination status.

The university noted that the requirement would apply to all students living on campus and off-campus university housing, while incoming students, it said, will have to undergo tests on the first and the fifth day of their arrival to campus.

When fully vaccinated students returned to campus in autumn, Stanford restricted private residential gatherings, student organization meetings, residentially-sponsored meetings, registered parties until October.

“Starting Sept. 20, COVID testing is required weekly for on-site postdoctoral scholars who are vaccinated, and twice weekly for students and postdocs who are not vaccinated,” the university’s current policy reads.

As of November 8, 2021, over the last 62 weeks, more than 455,000 student tests have been completed, with 368 positive results.

For the Autumn Quarter 2021, there are 7,858 undergraduate students, 9,388 graduates, and 2,279 faculty members at Stanford University. The university has been offering most classes in-person for the fall quarter.

As per vaccinated scholars arriving from international locations, they are required to register with Health Check and Color and test on day 0 and day 5 before entering the campus for business purposes. Those who are not vaccinated are required to submit a negative COVID-19 test which has to be completed at least five days before arriving in California.