We have been working toward this day for the past month. The senior team and I believe that it is time to significantly relax BSC’s COVID-19 protocols beginning tomorrow – Thursday, February 17.
This decision was made in consultation with the Jefferson County Department of Health and other public health specialists and is based on several factors. The number of omicron cases in our area has fallen dramatically and all indications are that the number of cases will continue to decline. Our campus-wide testing earlier this week revealed a low percentage of cases at BSC. We tested more than 700 students and 200 faculty and staff members, for a positivity rate of 0.33%. (Approximately 25% of students and employees were exempt due to positive cases in the past 90 days.)
This morning, NBC News reported that the CDC will loosen its recommendations regarding wearing masks indoors as early as next week. Last week, the governors of Illinois, New York, and Rhode Island announced the end to mask mandates in their states. The governors of California, Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, and Oregon have announced that their mask mandates will end soon. While the actions of these governors and expected action of the CDC does not dictate what we do on campus, these changes reflect a growing belief that COVID is moving toward an endemic state which can be managed. These changes also reflect a developing view that some protocols have real costs that, among others, interfere with the learning and development of students.
