US Universities Postpone Spring Semester Due to Rise in COVID-19 Cases

Many universities and colleges across the United States have decided to postpone spring semester due to a rise in the number of COVID-19 infections and the spread of the new COVID-19 omicron variant.

Currently, over 70 colleges in 26 states have decided to go remote again and many other institutions said that they are considering doing it, Erudera.com reports.

Yale University is among the institutions that have decided to postpone the spring semester from January 18 to January 25, 2022. In an email to students and employees, the university said that in-person classes will resume on February 7.

According to the announcement, Yale has asked its students to return to campus as of January 14 and not later than February 4.

Furthermore, in a message sent to students, Princeton University also confirmed that the start date of the spring semester is January 24. The university announced that it would also require booster shots for all students and employees by January 31, 2022.

According to the university’s dashboard, 98 percent of graduate students and 96 percent of employees are already vaccinated against COVID-19.

Howard University is also among the universities that have decided to delay the start of the spring semester for undergraduate and graduate students until January 18, 2022.

“Face-to-face courses will begin on that date. University administrative operations will begin on January 3, 2022. Students in professional programs will receive specific guidance from their schools to accommodate accreditation and licensure requirements,” university officials said in a message to the Howard community.

Tennessee State University is another university that will postpone its spring semester due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in Nashville. Classes at the university are expected to begin on January 24, 2022.

Meanwhile, other institutions that have announced online semester include the California Institute of Technology, Illinois State University, Columbia University, Temple University, and Universities of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Chicago.

Differently, Harvard University said that it is planning to continue in-person semester despite the increase in COVID-19 cases at the university.

“Although infection with Omicron is expected to have less serious health consequences, we must continue to practice the healthy habits and behaviors that reduce the risk of transmission,” Harvard President Lawrence S. Bacow and other university leaders said in a statement.

Due to COVID-19 developments and the spread of Omicron, many universities will require on-campus students to receive booster shots, including Ohio State University,  Duke University, University of Rochester.