Boise State begins its spring semester Monday. Here’s what to know about COVID protocols
Boise State students and staff will still have to wear masks and follow other COVID-19 mitigation protocols when they return to campus for the start of spring semester.
The university will continue with in-person learning, but officials are encouraging everyone to get vaccinated and take other precautions as health officials warn of another COVID-19 surge.
“Although we expected — and are experiencing — an increase in positivity rates, we want to keep the campus open and are still planning for a face-to-face start to the semester,” Alicia Estey, chief of staff and vice president of university affairs, said in a Dec. 30 email addressed to colleagues.
“Because omicron, the dominant COVID variant in the U.S., is highly transmissible, it is critical that all members of our community follow public health protocols so that we can keep campus safe and open for classes and activities this spring.”
According to Boise State’s COVID-19 dashboard, the university reported 179 cases between Dec. 31 and Jan. 6, the majority of which were reported among off-campus students. That is more cases than the university has reported during any other week since the start of the school year.
Across the U.S., several colleges and universities have moved classes online temporarily as the omicron variant spreads and threatens to overwhelm health care systems.
Idaho’s public health leaders are concerned this COVID-19 surge could force hospitals to enter crisis standards of care once again. They warned the spike could be even worse than what the state has seen before.
This week, more than 6,300 new cases were reported across Idaho, according to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. The state’s positivity rate also rose to 17% during the week of Dec. 26, about double what it was the week before.
At Boise State, the community will have to continue to follow protocols that were in place last semester, including wearing masks in indoor campus spaces and crowded outdoor settings and staying home when sick. Students who live on campus also must be tested when they return unless they have been fully vaccinated, tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 90 days or meet another exemption.
People who flew over break or attended a crowded event are also encouraged to get tested before returning to campus, according to the email from Estey.
The university is also urging people to upgrade their masks.
Boise State updates isolation, quarantine policies
The university’s public health office has updated its quarantine and isolation procedures in line with new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to the guidelines, those who test positive for COVID-19 need to stay home for five days — fewer than in the past — from the start of symptoms or from the date of the positive test. If symptoms clear up after five days, people may be able to stop isolating, but must continue to wear a surgical mask around others for five more days.
Those who have a known exposure but have received a booster shot or were fully vaccinated — either with the Pfizer of Moderna vaccines within the last six months or with the J&J shot within the last two months — should wear a surgical mask around others for 10 days and test on day five, as long as they are asymptomatic. Those who have been boosted but are symptomatic should get a test and stay home until receiving results.
People who have a known exposure who are asymptomatic but not fully vaccinated — including those who were vaccinated more than six months ago and haven’t received a booster shots — should stay home for five days, test on day five and wear a surgical mask around others for the next five days, according to the guidelines.
The university on its website encourages people to reach out to Boise State Public Health with questions.
Boise State will continue to monitor the situation and will communicate any changes to the community if necessary, Estey wrote.
This story was originally published January 7, 2022 at 4:33 PM.
