Columbia University Lifts Caps On Indoor Gatherings

Upper West Side NY

22 October, 2021

11:35 AM

Description

Columbia Daily Spectator BY BENJAMIN STEIN OCTOBER 20, 2021 The University will lift capacity restrictions on all indoor gatherings, with the exception of indoor sporting events, starting Nov. 1, Provost Mary Boyce announced in an email Wednesday. Indoor sporting events will be limited to 70 percent capacity. The indoor mask requirement was extended through the end of November. Only indoor events that include non-Columbia community members will have attendance caps, and approval must be granted for any exceptions. This news comes after the latest Columbia COVID-19 statistics showed 40 positive COVID-19 tests for the week of Oct. 11, down from 69 positive tests during the week of Oct. 4. Following the return of students to campus for in-person learning in the beginning of the semester, COVID-19 cases spiked to over 100 positive tests on the weeks of Sept. 13 and Sept. 20. To stem the rising case numbers, the University implemented strict no-visitor policies in residence halls and expanded surveillance testing to test a random 25 percent of students each week. Falling numbers then resulted in the reversal of the no-visitor policy, instead replacing it with a guest system where residents could sign one Columbia or Barnard guest into their residence hall. Additionally, Columbia reopened indoor dining on Oct. 13 after over a month of only grab-and-go options. The low numbers from the week of Oct. 11 are a preliminary sign that the easing of these restrictions have not resulted in significant spread of COVID-19 within the Columbia community. All elements of the Columbia Test and Trace Program will remain in place, including weekly surveillance testing for 25 percent of the student population and weekly testing for all unvaccinated students. As of the week of Oct. 11, 99.9 percent of students have been fully vaccinated. Columbia remains in the yellow "low risk" tier of its COVID-19 monitoring plan. Staff writer Benjamin Stein can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow Spectator on Twitter @ColumbiaSpec. Founded in 1877, the Columbia Daily Spectator is the independent undergraduate newspaper of Columbia University, serving thousands of readers in Morningside Heights, West Harlem, and beyond. Read more at columbiaspectator.com and donate here.