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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Nov 7, 2020 9:58:22 GMT -5
Plans are outlined in this document. www.holycross.edu/sites/default/files/files/covid19/preliminaryspring2021guide.pdfPublished yesterday, but the enrollment calendar for the January term is out-of-date. I suspect students received earlier, separate notice about course enrollment for the January term. The Jo courts will be used for testing. The rest of The Jo will be available for use. Based on this guide, it certainly appears there will be no fans in the stands. A spring season for fall sports and a spring season for spring sports await PL decisions.
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Post by hchoops on Nov 7, 2020 10:11:46 GMT -5
You can add winter sports to that
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Dec 6, 2020 15:27:38 GMT -5
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Post by matunuck on Dec 8, 2020 22:02:35 GMT -5
www.wsj.com/articles/lessons-from-fall-reopenings-change-colleges-future-plans-11607433781From WSJ piece: At College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass.—the alma mater of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious-disease expert—only 230 students lived on campus this semester, while all classes were delivered remotely. The school expects to host between 2,100 and 2,200 students next semester and hold some in-person classes because of what the world has learned about Covid-19 since the summer, said Holy Cross President Rev. Philip Boroughs. The school learned how to contact-trace, devise safe dining plans and implement strict testing protocols with a small on-campus population this fall. Now Holy Cross is ready to do it on a larger scale. “We feel that we really have a handle on how to do this, with one caveat,” Rev. Boroughs said. “We do not control the pandemic, but we’re learning how to interact with it and not be overwhelmed by it.”
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Post by longsuffering on Dec 9, 2020 1:31:35 GMT -5
www.wsj.com/articles/lessons-from-fall-reopenings-change-colleges-future-plans-11607433781From WSJ piece: At College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass.—the alma mater of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious-disease expert—only 230 students lived on campus this semester, while all classes were delivered remotely. The school expects to host between 2,100 and 2,200 students next semester and hold some in-person classes because of what the world has learned about Covid-19 since the summer, said Holy Cross President Rev. Philip Boroughs. The school learned how to contact-trace, devise safe dining plans and implement strict testing protocols with a small on-campus population this fall. Now Holy Cross is ready to do it on a larger scale. “We feel that we really have a handle on how to do this, with one caveat,” Rev. Boroughs said. “We do not control the pandemic, but we’re learning how to interact with it and not be overwhelmed by it.” HC took time to learn, plan and prepare...and the world didn't end. Good job.
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Post by hcpride on Dec 9, 2020 4:26:22 GMT -5
While this is remains counterintuitive for a few, the science on school campuses (k-12 and undergraduate), school sports, and Covid is apparent. Kudos to HC for observing other schools, getting its act together, and following the science. And in the name of Covid let’s have a permanent nationwide ban on ‘Greek’ fraternities and sororities. (I know Covid doesn’t kill or even hospitalize frat boys and they don’t necessarily spread it to elderly folks, but let’s err on the safe side and in an abundance of caution. You never know.)
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Post by Tom on Dec 9, 2020 8:46:16 GMT -5
Dr. Frieden said. “It’s not even in organized sports but in locker rooms before and pizza parties after.” I hope the basketball players live in the hill dorms. If we're avoiding the locker rooms, January can get mighty cold to walk from Carlin to Hart in shorts and a tank top
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Post by CHC8485 on Dec 9, 2020 9:16:49 GMT -5
Easy fix, Tom. Go back to the future with an fur-lined version of the 1970's tear away pants!
Walk up to the Luth, step into the gym, a quick flick of the wrist, and it's time to dance. Regal!
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Dec 9, 2020 9:42:49 GMT -5
Based on the college's COVID tracking, post Thanksgiving, there were six student positive tests between Nov 27th and Dec 4th, and no additional student positives between Dec 5th and 9AM Dec 9th. No staff positives during this period.
Between Dec 4th and 9 AM Dec 9th, there were four staff positive tests reported, and one "other" positive. The "other" is not further described; the individual may be a facilities contractor working in campus buildings. The workers on the PPAC and The Jo are not tested by HC. That there are no student positives during this period is a promising sign of no post-Thanksgiving outbreak.
The college continues to test at a high rate: 505 tests done on Monday, and 320 on Tuesday. The Tuesday count may be higher yet, as it is based on test results reported during today, Wednesday.
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Post by Tom on Dec 9, 2020 10:39:03 GMT -5
Based on the college's COVID tracking, post Thanksgiving, there were six student positive tests between Nov 27th and Dec 4th, and no additional student positives between Dec 5th and 9AM Dec 9th. No staff positives during this period. Between Dec 4th and 9 AM Dec 9th, there were four staff positive tests reported, and one "other" positive. The "other" is not further described; the individual may be a facilities contractor working in campus buildings. The workers on the PPAC and The Jo are not tested by HC. That there are no student positives during this period is a promising sign of no post-Thanksgiving outbreak. The college continues to test at a high rate: 505 tests done on Monday, and 320 on Tuesday. The Tuesday count may be higher yet, as it is based on test results reported during today, Wednesday. I thought that other than hoops and hockey, no one was on campus. Wasn't the plan that all the students who needed to be on campus (labs, performing arts stuff, etc) would finish their in-person tasks in November and not return from Thanksgiving break?
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Post by rgs318 on Dec 9, 2020 11:30:07 GMT -5
Marcus mentioned that many athletes from sports other than ice hockey and basketball were now living in the Worcester area (having relocated near to the campus) and could come on campus to use the. facilities 4 days a week. That is a positive note showing good attitude in the face of adversity!
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Dec 9, 2020 12:16:50 GMT -5
Based on the college's COVID tracking, post Thanksgiving, there were six student positive tests between Nov 27th and Dec 4th, and no additional student positives between Dec 5th and 9AM Dec 9th. No staff positives during this period. Between Dec 4th and 9 AM Dec 9th, there were four staff positive tests reported, and one "other" positive. The "other" is not further described; the individual may be a facilities contractor working in campus buildings. The workers on the PPAC and The Jo are not tested by HC. That there are no student positives during this period is a promising sign of no post-Thanksgiving outbreak. The college continues to test at a high rate: 505 tests done on Monday, and 320 on Tuesday. The Tuesday count may be higher yet, as it is based on test results reported during today, Wednesday. I thought that other than hoops and hockey, no one was on campus. Wasn't the plan that all the students who needed to be on campus (labs, performing arts stuff, etc) would finish their in-person tasks in November and not return from Thanksgiving break? That was my understanding, although international students would remain on campus. Based on peak COVID testing in November, at about 2,000 tests a week, it seemed that the number of students on-campus and off-campus in Worcester had grown to 700-800 or so, with the remaining tests being faculty and staff, who I believe are tested 1x a week, rather than the 2x a week frequency for the students. I heard there were 400+ athletes on-campus and off-campus during the fall semester.
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Post by hchoops on Dec 9, 2020 16:16:24 GMT -5
Many of those were probably football players
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Post by rgs318 on Dec 9, 2020 16:22:55 GMT -5
Also lax and baseball were "well represented"
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Post by purplehaze on Feb 4, 2021 17:32:47 GMT -5
Was reading an article on the HC home page and it stated that fewer than 2000 are living on campus for the spring semester - this came as a surprise, i.e. only about 2/3 of the student body Question: are classes ‘in person’ for these students on campus ?
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Feb 4, 2021 18:13:23 GMT -5
Was reading an article on the HC home page and it stated that fewer than 2000 are living on campus for the spring semester - this came as a surprise, i.e. only about 2/3 of the student body Question: are classes ‘in person’ for these students on campus ? The 2,000 living on campus are complemented by the 700-800-900 living off-campus, who have permission to come-on-campus. I think there are about 200 or so who are enrolled fully remotely. Holy Cross had to de-densify the campus, -- no triples. Also, there is no study-abroad, so the several hundred students who would otherwise be abroad are in Worcester. And instead of using Loyola as the isolation/quarantine dorm, that 'residence' is now a hotel in downtown Worcester that is leased by the college. Holy Cross daily posts how much isolation and quarantine capacity the school has available, currently 70 percent and 90 percent. There were 36 new student cases between Jan 19 and February 3. Between Jan 29th and February 3rd, HC did about 5,600 tests. Classes are both in-person and virtual.
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Feb 8, 2021 10:35:17 GMT -5
Today, HC upgraded the college's COVID status from orange to yellow. Among other things, this opens Kimball to sit-down dining.
In the seven days ending yesterday, HC performed nearly 6,700 tests; 12 students tested positive. All these students were most likely infected at home prior to arriving in Worcester for the start of the spring semester. The upgrade to yellow suggests there presently is little to no community spread among HC students now in Worcester.
Community spread among the general population in the city of Worcester is also decreasing markedly.
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Post by rgs318 on Feb 8, 2021 10:41:52 GMT -5
If you know, is that drop in Worcester cases due primarily to vaccines or could it be chiefly because of masks and social distancing?
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Feb 8, 2021 12:35:25 GMT -5
If you know, is that due primarily to vaccines or could it be chiefly because of masks and social distancing? With respect to students, I am not aware of any who have received a vaccine shot. It appears that the college, because of its rigorous testing program, caught infected students and quickly isolated them, and there was little/no contagion to other students. 6700 tests is about 3,000 students twice a week, and 350 staff, who potentially are in contact with students, twice a week. (Some staff may be tested only once a week.) Mandatory masks and social distancing would have reduced community transmission, and the number of contacts. Between Dec 8th and Jan 14th, there were 26 staff cases, and one student case. Then students began returning to campus, first athletes, then freshmen, and finally the remaining upperclass students. 45 student positives between Jan 15th and Feb 6th. With respect to the city of Worcester, the decrease in cases most likely due to a great drop in the number of inter-family gatherings, post holidays.
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Post by bfoley82 on Feb 8, 2021 13:31:37 GMT -5
Today, HC upgraded the college's COVID status from orange to yellow. Among other things, this opens Kimball to sit-down dining. In the seven days ending yesterday, HC performed nearly 6,700 tests; 12 students tested positive. All these students were most likely infected at home prior to arriving in Worcester for the start of the spring semester. The upgrade to yellow suggests there presently is little to no community spread among HC students now in Worcester. Community spread among the general population in the city of Worcester is also decreasing markedly. While UMass-Amherst has gone into a full shutdown....with the following rules High Risk Measures implemented include: All in-person classes will transition to remote format. All students, on campus or off, required to self-sequester. Students only allowed out for twice weekly COVID testing, to get food, or for medical necessity. Failure to comply will result in disciplinary action, which may include removal from residence halls and/or suspension. Campus athletic competitions and practices cancelled. High Risk level in effect for a minimum of 14 days (until Feb. 21 at the earliest). The level will only be changed if the public health situation improves significantly. LINK: www.umass.edu/coronavirus/
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Post by longsuffering on Feb 8, 2021 16:17:01 GMT -5
Today, HC upgraded the college's COVID status from orange to yellow. Among other things, this opens Kimball to sit-down dining. In the seven days ending yesterday, HC performed nearly 6,700 tests; 12 students tested positive. All these students were most likely infected at home prior to arriving in Worcester for the start of the spring semester. The upgrade to yellow suggests there presently is little to no community spread among HC students now in Worcester. Community spread among the general population in the city of Worcester is also decreasing markedly. While UMass-Amherst has gone into a full shutdown....with the following rules High Risk Measures implemented include: All in-person classes will transition to remote format. All students, on campus or off, required to self-sequester. Students only allowed out for twice weekly COVID testing, to get food, or for medical necessity. Failure to comply will result in disciplinary action, which may include removal from residence halls and/or suspension. Campus athletic competitions and practices cancelled. High Risk level in effect for a minimum of 14 days (until Feb. 21 at the earliest). The level will only be changed if the public health situation improves significantly. LINK: www.umass.edu/coronavirus/Managing 3,000 students must be harder than 30,000 students. Plus UMass is fairly well integrated with the town and HC literally has gates.
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Post by bfoley82 on Feb 8, 2021 18:29:59 GMT -5
While UMass-Amherst has gone into a full shutdown....with the following rules High Risk Measures implemented include: All in-person classes will transition to remote format. All students, on campus or off, required to self-sequester. Students only allowed out for twice weekly COVID testing, to get food, or for medical necessity. Failure to comply will result in disciplinary action, which may include removal from residence halls and/or suspension. Campus athletic competitions and practices cancelled. High Risk level in effect for a minimum of 14 days (until Feb. 21 at the earliest). The level will only be changed if the public health situation improves significantly. LINK: www.umass.edu/coronavirus/Managing 3,000 students must be harder than 30,000 students. Plus UMass is fairly well integrated with the town and HC literally has gates. Not sure about that....UMass is pretty far away from downtown. You really think the gates around Holy Cross are stopping students from leaving? It has been one week that Holy Cross has been in session....give it a little bit of time.
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Post by bfoley82 on Feb 8, 2021 18:35:34 GMT -5
While UMass-Amherst has gone into a full shutdown....with the following rules High Risk Measures implemented include: All in-person classes will transition to remote format. All students, on campus or off, required to self-sequester. Students only allowed out for twice weekly COVID testing, to get food, or for medical necessity. Failure to comply will result in disciplinary action, which may include removal from residence halls and/or suspension. Campus athletic competitions and practices cancelled. High Risk level in effect for a minimum of 14 days (until Feb. 21 at the earliest). The level will only be changed if the public health situation improves significantly. LINK: www.umass.edu/coronavirus/Managing 3,000 students must be harder than 30,000 students. Plus UMass is fairly well integrated with the town and HC literally has gates. UMass in their release had 398 active cases out of the 30,000 students. So that would be at Holy Cross's level of having 39.8 active cases www.umass.edu/coronavirus/news/campus-covid-19-risk-level-raised-elevated-high-risk
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Post by hcpride on Feb 8, 2021 19:30:15 GMT -5
Today, HC upgraded the college's COVID status from orange to yellow. Among other things, this opens Kimball to sit-down dining. In the seven days ending yesterday, HC performed nearly 6,700 tests; 12 students tested positive. All these students were most likely infected at home prior to arriving in Worcester for the start of the spring semester. The upgrade to yellow suggests there presently is little to no community spread among HC students now in Worcester. Community spread among the general population in the city of Worcester is also decreasing markedly. While UMass-Amherst has gone into a full shutdown....with the following rules High Risk Measures implemented include: All in-person classes will transition to remote format. All students, on campus or off, required to self-sequester. Students only allowed out for twice weekly COVID testing, to get food, or for medical necessity. Failure to comply will result in disciplinary action, which may include removal from residence halls and/or suspension. Campus athletic competitions and practices cancelled.High Risk level in effect for a minimum of 14 days (until Feb. 21 at the earliest). The level will only be changed if the public health situation improves significantly. LINK: www.umass.edu/coronavirus/I wonder if UMass actually had evidence that healthy physical activities such as campus athletic competitions and practices were significant sources of viral spread before pulling the plug on all of them. Of course I also wonder if shutting kids up inside their dormitories actually slows the spread of respiratory viruses amongst students but that's probably just me. Since we're talking college kids and Covid one imagines the 398 active cases (and future active cases amongst UMass students) will successfully resolve in any case but it would be reassuring to know they are following the data and the science.
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Post by longsuffering on Feb 8, 2021 20:21:06 GMT -5
Managing 3,000 students must be harder than 30,000 students. Plus UMass is fairly well integrated with the town and HC literally has gates. Not sure about that....UMass is pretty far away from downtown. You really think the gates around Holy Cross are stopping students from leaving? It has been one week that Holy Cross has been in session....give it a little bit of time. I meant managing 30,000 is harder than 3,000. Thinking of six degrees of separation theory, it is probably only two or three degrees at HC with the social penalty for violating the common good more powerful than on a larger campus like UMass. OTH, since I'm a Mass. native, the last time I was on the UMass campus the students all looked like they were in the same tribe as me, so a State U. has it's own homogeneity. But it still should be easier for a community of 3K to be accountable to each other than 30K.
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