Administration cuts back on COVID-19 mitigation efforts

CSB/SJU students found out in an email on Oct. 2 from the Office of the Presidents that some mitigation measures would end. Students living off-campus had not been able to come on campus, athletics had less participation, outdoor and indoor events had lower caps on attendance and Johnnies and Bennies weren’t allowed to visit one another’s dorms and apartments. This change was in response to the slow of COVID-19 cases in the community.

However, these policy changes may not be permanent. Mary Geller, vice president of student development, compared the present circumstances to an accordion. “The wider the spread, the more mitigation we will need,” Geller said.

She cited that the campuses are following the Minnesota Department of Health guidelines, where most on-campus measures and guidelines are sourced from. She also explained that there is a spectrum, from the pandemic being over, to the virus being uncontrollable and shutting the campuses down.

“I don’t see us being at either end and being a little above and a little below where we are right now,” SJU senior Martin Figueroa said. “This is where I see us staying, not totally open, never all the way closed.”

“Everyone wants life to be the same,” Geller said about dealing with complaints. Her message was “It’s different. We have to measure expectations, and we have to make the best of things.” Figueroa was optimistic about the rule changes sticking.

“We are data-driven,” Geller said about how the administration is keeping students safe. “Students are not getting sick from class or school-sponsored events. They’re getting sick from their own choices.”

Figueroa said, “When we think we’re safe from everything we do on campus, people feel too free to go out to the bars weekly.”

Nothing about this academic year has been normal. But there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel. COVID-19 cases on campus became manageable, and that had a direct impact on the types of activities students can participate in. An expected cycle of cases spiking, mitigation becoming stricter and cases falling is just that-expected. There is no guarantee that it happens. For the first time, CSB/ SJU has rolled back its mitigation rules, and now everyone in the community must collectively hold their breath to see how it goes.

The new COVID-19 rules are entirely a response to the fact that there are less cases. Geller made it clear that mitigation efforts weren’t changed after two weeks on a whim. She implied that they were changed because the school administration wants to be as open and safe as possible for students. A

As of Wednesday, Oct. 7, there have been 154 positive COVID-19 cases on campus with 127 no longer requiring isolation, according to the CSB/ SJU COVID-19 dashboard.