The George Washington University on Wednesday announced that it’s planning to start the spring semester virtually, as the omicron variant has led to another spike in COVID-19 cases in the D.C. area.
“At this time, we plan to begin the spring semester virtually to allow for a gradual and careful in-person return to campus,” the university said in a statement.
The university anticipates that in-person classes and operations will begin Jan. 18, after the Dr. Martin Luther King Day holiday. Classes begin Jan. 10.
George Washington is also moving up the deadline to get a booster vaccine: Documentation must be uploaded by Jan. 10, a change from the previous Feb. 1.
“The number of positive COVID-19 cases among our community members continues to increase and remains high,” the university said.
According to the GWU dashboard, the week of Dec. 5 through Dec. 11, there were 74 positive cases of the coronavirus in the GWU community, with a test positivity rate of 0.78%. Last week, there were 337 cases, with a positivity rate of 3.19%. This week, as of Tuesday, there have been 210 cases with a positivity rate of 6.60%.
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