Northwestern goes remote for first two weeks of January
Daily file photo by Angeli Mittal
Weber Arch. Northwestern announced it will move winter classes remote for at least a few weeks in light of the COVID-19 case surge on campus and nationwide.
December 20, 2021
Classes and co-curricular activities will be held virtually for the first two weeks of Winter Quarter, Northwestern announced Monday along with several new COVID-19 precautions.
Wildcat Wellness, a two-week quarantine period, will be implemented from Jan. 1 to 17. The period is mandatory for undergraduate and graduate students living both on campus and off. All on-campus dining will shift to grab-and-go service only or close.
NU plans to start in-person classes and activities on Jan. 18, dependent on health conditions on campus. According to the University’s COVID-19 Dashboard, the modified quarantine period could extend beyond that date or be reinstated should conditions require the extra measures.
Administrators encouraged students to isolate in Evanston after traveling back from Winter Break, which ends Jan. 2, and test regularly. All undergraduate and graduate students who intend to be on campus are required to take two in-person tests during Wildcat Wellness. Monday’s email also encouraged students to regularly complete at-home tests.
The Donald P. Jacobs Center will be open for student testing from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 2. The Jacobs Center and NU’s Chicago testing centers will offer extended hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Jan. 3 to 14.
Northwestern’s COVID-19 positivity rate more than doubled last week as many undergraduates departed Evanston for Winter Break. The University reported 476 positive cases from Dec. 13 to 19, a jump from last week’s 205. Campus activity level is now designated “orange,” which is triggered by high levels of transmission on campus or multiple clusters of positive cases.
Monday’s announcement also included a COVID-19 booster shot requirement for all students, faculty and staff by Jan. 30, 2022, or 30 days after becoming eligible for one.
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