By Delaney Crawford//
As Hood College is committed to keeping its students safe from COVID-19, many rules and regulations have been implemented all over campus, but the biggest change has occurred within the dorms.
Typically, students could come and go out of their friends’ rooms and other dorm buildings whenever they chose to. But in the close quarters in the dorms, COVID-19 and other viruses have the potential to spread easily among the students.
In order to prevent the spread of the virus in the dorms, Residence Life is not allowing students to go into other students’ rooms. There are lounge rooms in each dorm building where students can hang out 6 feet apart while also wearing masks. Residence Life hopes that this rule will allow the virus to not spread in the dorm buildings and that it will make contact tracing much easier.
Director of Wellness Services Teresa Cevallos said that no one exactly knows when the restrictions will be lifted. “I know it’s hard for the students, but it is needed. We are pleased right now, so far so good,” Cevallos said. “Most of our students are smart and are well aware of what this virus is and how to prevent the spread of it. But we don’t know when it will get better. The Residence Life team will keep tracking the trends in infection rates.”
Twelve students have tested positive for COVID-19 since the first test was administered on Aug. 12. All students were placed in isolation rooms following their positive test result.
“The more the students listen to the rule, the sooner it will be lifted,” Head Resident Assistant of Coblentz Hall Caleb Anthony said. “It could be two weeks; it could be two months. We just don’t know, but this rule was made so that we can all stay here for as long as possible.”
Great articles and love the lay out of the paper!