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With the fall semester underway, College of the Desert campuses are seeing the return of students eager to review learning in person after more than a year of closure.
Currently, students and staff who wish to take face-to-face or other instruction on campus Activities are not required to prove that they are vaccinated against the novel coronavirus.
However, the policy is set for change for spring semester 2022 following a vote at the end of last week by the board of directors.
First-year student Meggan Renteria isn’t bothered by the upcoming policy change at the school.
She said she thought “it’s really good that people get vaccinated,” and noted that with the possibility of more students returning to in-person learning, she believes the College of the Desert takes action “so that they can protect everyone”.
For Agustina Berrondo, a sophomore from Argentina, the vaccine’s mandate makes sense from a public health perspective, although she says that ultimately it’s a choice each individual must make for themselves. -same.
She was forced to return to Argentina from the United States in 2020 at the height of the pandemic. Berrondo said she plans to get the vaccine now that she is back in America, and noted that the health system in her home country is not well organized.
Berrondo added that she believes “people here need to understand that not all countries have the opportunity to have this vaccination process and all the resources to feel safe.”
Meanwhile, the College of the Desert said it informed students and staff of the decision to implement a vaccination mandate in its weekly Roadrunner Roundup newsletter.
He also said that an announcement had been made at several staff and management meetings, posted on the College’s website and on social media platforms, and that it would be included in the bi-weekly COVID announcement from school, which is distributed every other Thursday to teachers, staff and management. .
College of the Desert explained its decision, while noting a nationwide increase in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths from the highly contagious Delta variant.
Board chair Aurora Wilson said in a press release: “Throughout the pandemic, we have made the safety and well-being of our employees and students a priority. As we increase the number of people accessing our facilities, the Board of Directors believes it is important to adopt a comprehensive strategy that includes proactive measures to reduce the possibility of COVID-19 transmission on our campuses. “
Students and school employees over the age of 12 must submit proof of vaccination by January 31, 2022, which marks the start of the spring semester, if they wish to attend in-person instruction.
College of the Desert said it is still working to develop a system to verify proof of vaccination and test results for those who qualify for a vaccine exemption, which will be granted on religious and medical grounds.
He also told News Channel 3 that as the implementation plan is finalized, information will continue to be shared across various platforms, including, but not limited to, hosted Zoom sessions. by Superintendent / President, Dr. Martha Garcia, email, social media, web, print signage, COD app posts, canvas information and they will be included in a variety of activities and meetings on the campus.”
A spokesperson for the school added “our goal is to communicate information in a variety of formats to ensure that our students, teachers and staff are aware of the change and prepared.”
Currently, all students and employees of the school are screened through the SWAY app before entering campus. The app is used to identify COVID-like symptoms including fever, chills, and sore throat.
Users are asked a series of questions about their health after creating a profile. Temperature checks are also available and administered before entering campus. If a test is reported, an individual’s status will be reviewed before they are allowed to enter campus.
Additionally, College of the Desert announced its partnership with Borrego Health to provide weekly vaccination clinics and PCR tests during the fall semester, both free for anyone interested.
Stay with News Channel 3 for any new development.
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