The state continues to lead the country in average daily new COVID-19 cases and hospitalization, according to data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Because of this, the University of Arizona is unsure of when it will be able to offer more in-person instruction opportunities.
Since the beginning of the spring semester, the university has limited in-person classes to only those that it has deemed essential due to COVID concerns.
University President Robert Robbins told reporters on Monday that there is some good news. COVID cases have begun to fall nationwide, he said. The positivity rate at the university is also on a decline, close to 1% percent, down from 2% two weeks prior.
But whether this means the university will be able to bring more students back soon remains to be seen.
“I want to see more face to face classes and I hope that we will be able to do this within a couple of weeks, but I don’t think right now is the time to do it," Robbins said.
The university will continue to watch the data, and meet with its public health advisory team. The university will give students, faculty and staff advanced notice if it makes any adjustments, he said.
While UA officials are impressed with the diligence of their students that has helped bring the positivity rate down, Dr. Richard Carmona, who's leading the university’s reentry task force, said gatherings are still a problem. Last week, the university responded to 10 gatherings, including one of 100 or more individuals. This was three more incidents than the previous week.
“Everybody is suffering from COVID exhaustion. People want to get out, they want to socialize, but of course from the very beginning we said we really have to curtail those activities," Carmona said.
Robbins is also concerned about a report on a large number of students getting COVID testing from Pima County to prepare for their spring break trips. Robbins and Carmona both encourage caution.
