How rising COVID-19 cases changed Kentucky colleges’ plans for the fall semester
At the end of the spring semester, it seemed like college campuses might be able to return to normal when students came back in the fall.
But spikes in the number of cases and the Delta variant of COVID-19 means students are returning to classes with masks, and at some colleges, with a vaccine requirement.
Kentucky has reported rising numbers of COVID-19 cases over the last several weeks, with record numbers of hospitalizations. Lexington had 273 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, according to the latest counts released Wednesday. Kentucky reported 4,638 new cases on Tuesday, 17 more deaths and another record number of hospitalizations.
“This is the most dangerous time we’ve seen in this pandemic,” Gov. Andy Beshear said in a video update. “We’ve got to get more people vaccinated, and we need people to wear masks when they are outside the home and indoors.”
Many universities are offering incentives for students who get vaccinated, including scholarships and tickets to football or basketball games. Berea College was the first college in the state requiring students to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Now that the Pfizer vaccine has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, Centre College, Bellarmine University and Transylvania University are also requiring students to get vaccinated. Bellarmine and Transylvania are also requiring faculty and staff to get vaccinated.
University of Kentucky president Eli Capilouto said the university has learned to “respect the virus,” understanding that it’s unpredictable. While he was hoping for a more normal semester, there were also preparations made in case that was not possible.
Health Corps, the team that handled contact tracing and COVID-19 testing and coordinated isolation and quarantine last year, has been brought back. Masks are required while indoors on campus, regardless if someone has been vaccinated or not.
“We felt certainly confident, but we did put money aside in our budget this year,” Capilouto said. “We’ve stood Health Corps up again, and we’re doubling down on increasing our vaccine rates.”
Discussions ongoing about vaccine requirement at UK
UK has not implemented a vaccine mandate, but Capilouto said those discussions about a vaccine requirement are ongoing. UK HealthCare employees are required to be fully vaccinated by Sept. 15.
On Monday, the university senate council discussed a vaccine requirement, with many attendees in favor of one. If a vaccine mandate was put into place, Capilouto said there would need to be clarity on what to do if someone was out of compliance or did not get vaccinated.
“If one looks carefully at requirements or mandates around the country, they don’t look too different than what we’re doing,” Capilouto said, adding that people who are exempt from the vaccine are still required to participate in regular testing when a mandate is in place.
Currently, UK has set a goal of at least 80% of students and employees getting fully vaccinated. Students who are not vaccinated are required to get a COVID-19 test before Aug. 27, and will be required to participate in regular testing throughout the semester.
On Friday, UK reported 37 cases of COVID-19 and 72.5% of returning students and employees who are fully vaccinated.
“I have confidence in what we’re doing now to keep our students and entire community safe and well,” Capilouto said.
‘Small sacrifice’ for healthy campus
Eastern Kentucky University president David McFaddin was also optimistic that EKU students would return for a normal campus experience. The school began planning for a semester without masks and with fully in-person classes. Things changed over the summer, and like all public universities in the state, EKU will require masks indoors.
“For us, being able to see those facial expressions, to be able to build community and not have the barrier of a mask was something that we were really looking forward to, no doubt,” McFaddin said. “But the reality is, this is a small sacrifice to make to keep our community healthy, to keep our campus safe and to do things where we show that we care about one another.”
EKU will continue to provide quarantine spaces on campus for students who need it. There will also be COVID-19 vaccination clinics available throughout the semester.
EKU is also asking students and employees to disclose their vaccination status, in order to track the percentage of vaccinated students. If enough people are vaccinated, the mask requirement could change, McFaddin said.
McFaddin said campus today feels much more normal than it did last fall, even with the continuation of the mask requirement. More people are on campus, and EKU is still planning on hosting events throughout the semester.
“We’re going to move foward with those things, barring any big changes in a different way, or any additional guidance from state or federal authorities,” McFaddin said.
At Berea College, if a student tests positive for COVID-19, they have to quarantine for 10 days. An update sent from President Lyle Roelofs told students that if they have to enter quarantine, they could have to withdraw from classes if the student cannot attend classes virtually.
According to Roelof’s email, “withdrawal could be necessary in these cases, with the student expected to make arrangements to return home for the remainder of the semester.” This will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, Berea said in a statement.
“Factors that need to be considered include the nature of the courses in which the student is enrolled, how much flexibility there is in meeting academic requirements in the course, and even when in the semester the quarantine occurs,” the university said. “If the quarantine period would not allow the student to be successful in classes and labs for the current semester, options will include withdrawing from a class, or taking a leave for the remainder of the semester.”
This story was originally published August 25, 2021 at 3:00 PM.