The University of Cincinnati will not resume any in-person classes until at least Jan. 25, president Neville Pinto announced Thursday afternoon.
Some students living in university housing will be able to return as early as Jan. 6, but the spring semester will be entirely online when it begins Jan. 11, Pinto wrote in a letter to students and staff.
A mix of virtual, hybrid and in-person classes will begin on Jan. 25.
All students living on campus or using campus facilities must complete a COVID-19 test before they do so. Periodic testing will continue throughout the semester, according to Pinto.
“Please continue to take this health threat seriously and follow the protocols,” he wrote. “I know that as Bearcats each of you is stepping up to this challenge because it is the right thing to do for one another, for your families and loved ones, and for the community.”
College students like those at UC and Miami University were major sources of new COVID-19 cases in the late summer and early fall. However, most cases tied to these schools didn’t come from actual on-campus interactions — they came from students’ off-campus parties and gatherings.
According to UC’s COVID-19 dashboard, the school has recorded 1,722 cases of the virus since Aug. 17. A little over 65% of those cases came from students living in off-campus housing.
