Delaware State University will delay the return of students to campus by two weeks because of the surge in coronavirus cases that is being driven by the omicron variant.
The Delaware State News reports that classes will begin as planned on Jan. 10. But they will be held virtually for those two weeks.
The school is also requiring all students to get a COVID-19 booster shot before coming back to campus.
“The booster is our best chance to defend against widespread infection on campus, protecting you and the people around you,” DSU President Tony Allen said in a letter to the university community. “While COVID-19 continues to disrupt our normal business, the University’s nimble, science-based approach has served us well since the pandemic’s earliest days, keeping case counts low by using the best tools at our disposal, including required vaccination, mask wearing, regular testing, and contact-tracing protocols.”
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Dr. Michelle Fisher, associate vice president of Campus Health, added that the coronavirus booster shot does not provide maximum effectiveness until two weeks after it's given.
“The University wants its students as fully protected as possible before they arrive on campus at the beginning of the semester,” she said.
