CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Due to a recent surge in coronavirus cases at the University of Virginia, the school put some temporary restrictions in place Tuesday night.
Officials said the university’s in-house analysis showed that the spread only consisted of the original COVID strain and not new variants. This trend shows that people aren’t closely following health and safety guidelines.
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University leaders said they might lift the restrictions on Feb. 26 if cases decrease.
Below is a list of the new restrictions that were put in place:
- Social gatherings, clubs and organization meetings, and other in-person events aren’t allowed and should be moved online
- In-person classes will continue, but additional measures will be put in place to limit crowds in hallways before and after classes
- Research activities will continue and the Vice President of Research and the Provost will determine the necessary changes needed
- Recreational facilities will be closed
- Libraries will move to contactless pickup
- Dining facilities will remain open with in-person seating restricted to no more than two people eating together. Grab-and-go options will remain available
- Remote working is strongly encouraged for as many employees as possible
- Employment status and pay will not be interrupted for staff and students who are employed in areas that are closed due to these temporary restrictions
On-grounds students
On-grounds students can leave their residence halls for the following reasons:
- Attending an in-person class
- Eating at, or picking up a meal from, dining halls or other food places on-grounds
- Doing a solo outdoor activity, such as running or walking
- Getting a COVID-19 test or other medical care
- Going to an on-or off-grounds job, excluding volunteer activities, not affected by these new restrictions
- Picking up mail at the mailroom
- Going to the bookstore
Off-grounds students
Off-grounds students are encouraged to stay home and limit contact with others and they may only come to grounds to:
- Attend an in-person class
- Eat at, or pick up meals from, dining halls if they have a meal plan
- Follow ongoing prevalence testing requirements, receive a COVID-19 test or other medical care
- Go to an on-grounds job not affected by these new restrictions
If coronavirus conditions improve, officials said UVA will return to the original restrictions it had implemented at the start of the semester. If UVA continues to see a rise in cases, university officials said the school will have to take additional measures, such as moving to online instruction for undergraduate and graduate classes.