Top 5 draconian COVID policies on college campuses

When COVID-19 hit the United States in spring 2020, 1,300 colleges shut down their campuses that semester.

Mask mandates and vaccination and booster requirements soon followed. 

Campus Reform has also reported on multiple universities who are reverting to virtual learning to start 2022.

With Omicron variant sending the nation into a frenzy, other colleges are going all out enforcing other draconian Covid measures.

Here are five of the craziest COVID policies currently on campus.

5. Amherst requires double masking for anyone not wearing KN95 masks

In September, Amherst announced that all campus goers must be double-masked “in all indoor spaces, with the exception of when alone in private personal offices or in one’s own residence hall room” unless they wear a KN95 mask.

“Either a KN95 mask or doubled (two masks on top of one another) disposable, pleated, filter face masks must be worn at all times in classrooms and other academic spaces that are operating at 100% capacity,” the school’s website reads. 

There has been no indication that this double-masking will be discontinued in the spring semester. 

In addition to select double masking, all students, faculty, and staff are required to be fully vaccinated and boosted for the Spring semester. Even after vaccination, masks will be required.

“Yes. Even after you get your vaccine, you will need to keep wearing a mask that covers your nose and mouth, washing your hands often, and practicing physical distancing,” the school’s Vaccination Information page states. 

4. Despite 91% employee vaccination rate, UNCW continues mask mandate, ‘surveillance testing’

Beginning January 10, all University of North Carolina Wilmington students, faculty and staff will be required to mask indoors “regardless of vaccination status,” along with weekly “surveillance testing.” 

“Indoor face coverings will be required for students, faculty, staff and campus visitors regardless of vaccination status,” including in “multi-passenger vehicles such as WAVE buses, shuttles, vans and UNCW vehicles,” but not in personal vehicles or “open-air” vehicles, according to UNCW Chancellor Jose Sartarelli. 

Students who do not comply could be forced to leave class, and noncompliant employees may be referred to Human Resources or their supervisor. 

Sartarelli also informed the UNCW community that “weekly surveillance testing for unvaccinated students, faculty and staff who are living, learning and working on campus” will be required. 

3. Georgetown to require ‘random’ weekly testing among select students, faculty, staff

Georgetown University issued updated COVID guidelines for the Spring semester. Among these guidelines include “randomly selected pool of our fully vaccinated student, faculty and staff community each week” to be tested for Covid. 

All students, faculty, staff and visitors must be fully vaccinated and will be required to receive booster shots effective Jan. 21, excluding religious or medical exemption. Anyone not fully vaccinated members must undergo twice-weekly testing.

Additionally, all school dining establishments will only provide takeout, and eating/drinking of any kind in “indoor communal spaces” is prohibited. 

The school has also enlisted “Public Health ambassadors” who “will be monitoring [indoor communal spaces] to ensure mask wearing at all times.

2. Yale tells students they cannot ‘eat at local restaurants,’ citing COVID fears

When Yale University students return to campus, they will not be allowed to eat at New Haven eateries, even if they eat outdoors.

“Students may not visit New Haven businesses or eat at local restaurants (even outdoors) except for curbside pickup. Dining is grab-and-go until public health conditions improve,” Yale Daily News reported. 

In addition to the outdoor dining ban, students will be required to quarantine until they receive a negative Covid test. 

Yale will also institute a campus-wide quarantine through Feb. 7, which is subject to extension, and “All individuals, regardless of vaccination status, are required to wear masks indoors while on campus,” except if they are in isolated areas. 

All eligible students are required to get the Covid booster vaccine, and all faculty and staff are “expected” to do the same. 

In addition, “Students, faculty, staff, and postdoctoral/postgraduate trainees who have not been vaccinated are required to wear masks outdoors on campus when 6-foot distancing cannot be maintained.”

1. Princeton bars students from leaving the county 

Princeton University in New Jersey recently announced that students are prohibited from leaving the county except for “extraordinary circumstances.” 

The confinement begins Jan. 8 and will last up until Feb. 15 at the minimum.

“Beginning January 8 through mid-February, all undergraduate students who have returned to campus will not be permitted to travel outside of Mercer County or Plainsboro Township for personal reasons, except in extraordinary circumstances,” the school’s website reads.

The decision came after the school delayed in-person return by a week as the school saw a spike in Covid-19 cases. They will also be staggering student returns over the course of several days. 

Other restrictions to return to campus this spring include mandatory testing upon return, along with requiring all undergraduates to receive booster vaccinations. 

Upon return, students will not be allowed to participate in any school-sponsored events on or off campus that “include food or any activity that requires removing masks,” and undergraduate students cannot exceed gatherings above 20 people in their dorms or in off-campus housing.

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