Hofstra’s Together Again is far from a safe start

Hofstra announced its plans to be “Together Again” for the Fall 2021 semester last spring. With the vaccine roll out and a successful vaccination program on campus, things were looking promising for the fall semester. But with the rapid rise and now dominance of the Delta variant in the US, the prospect of normalcy is  ever changing.  

While the Delta variant does not pose as great of a risk to vaccinated people, it’s still something we need to be vigilant about. Some safety measures on campus don’t seem to seriously take the threat of the Delta variant into account. 

For any one logical safety measure, there is another alongside it that seems to contradict its purpose. For example: All residential students were to be tested for Covid-19 on arrival. However, the people who came to campus to help these same  students move in were not required to get tested, which seemingly negates the purpose of “testing on arrival.” To add to this issue of entry testing, commuter and grad students were given till until Friday, Sept. 10, to submit a negative Covid test, giving that student population a good 10 days to potentially contract and spread the virus. 

Another point of concern regarding these reopening plans is the lack of social distancing measures on campus. Classrooms are back at full capacity and dining locations’ seating arrangements are back to their pre-Covid models. Masks are required in all indoor spaces, however a lot of the Hofstra community seems to need a refresher on how to effectively utilize a mask and what “indoors” means. 

Again, while 98.3% of students and 96.4% of employees are fully vaccinated, there is still plenty of reason for concern about the Delta variant and breakthrough infections, which we have already begun to see on campus. Assuming that Covid-19 will not affect you even if you’re vaccinated is dangerous. 

By far the most careless decision made by the Uuniversity was removing the near constant of remote learning. Last fall and spring, students always had the option to attend class virtually, whether they had or come in contact with Covid-19, felt sick or just weren’t on campus. This semester, students have to choose between taking proper safety precautions and a passing grade. Staying home if you’re sick or when you’ve been in contact with someone who’s sick is one of the easiest things you can do to help keep your community safe. Putting students in a position where they can’t count on being able to attend class remotely if they were to get sick adds a ridiculous amount of pressure during an already highly stressful time. 

Vaccines do provide significant protection against Covid-19 and have helped us immensely. However, operating under the idea that vaccines are a cure- all and failing to provide students with adequate options should they get sick is not the best way to make strides in truly being “together again.”