Spotlighting Elon's New Semester COVID Policies
Elon’s policies regarding COVID last year were extremely strict. Students were required to get tested once a week, were subjected to random testing at any point, and if contact traced or exposed to COVID, were required to be isolated. Even if a student tested negative, they were required to stay in the hotel for the remainder of their time.
As a new school year approached, and a vaccine was released, Elon University required all of their students to come to school vaccinated. Although the requirement was enacted, about 5% of the student body came to school unvaccinated due to religious or medical reasons.
This year, Elon has drastically changed their policies about COVID. According to the Elon’s Health & Wellness website, vaccinated individuals who come in contact with COVID or are living with unvaccinated individuals are not required to quarantine or be in isolation. Students are recommended to watch themselves but are not required to test at all.
“I tested positive for COVID and live with seven other girls,” says Sophomore student Emma Ostrovsky “Six of them were vaccinated and one was not. None were required to isolate or even get tested.”
Ostrovsky was unvaccinated as was one of her other roommates. The unvaccinated roommate called the school to see what her requirements were as she came into contact and lived with a positive test, and the school assured her that she could continue living and did not have to quarantine.
The school did require her to get tested and a few days later though. She eventually tested positive and was also sent to the quarantine hotel.
The other six were not required to test or isolate whatsoever.
COVID cases have been rapidly rising at Elon and even those vaccinated are starting to develop symptoms. However, students who are vaccinated have a distinct advantage as the school is not requiring them to take any action.
Whether this is seen as a positive or negative thing for vaccinated students, it seems as if the school is not taking enough precautions to those who are coming in contact with Corona. The policies have drastically changed from last year and are extremely lenient.
Other universities continue to have extremely strict coronavirus policies, like Muhlenberg College or Boston College which require any student that comes in contact with COVID, vaccinated or not, to get tested or go into isolation immediately.