New York University on Wednesday canceled nonessential events following an uptick in COVID-19 cases, the school announced in a memo to the entire university.
Other colleges in the U.S. have also made changes over the last week due to a significant rise in cases over the fast-spreading omicron variant. Princeton University and Cornell on Wednesday said they were shifting all undergraduate final exams to a remote format and canceled or postponed all indoor gatherings where face coverings can’t be worn.
"The continuous review of the data from our COVID-19 testing program has indicated a considerable acceleration in the rate of new cases in our community," NYU's provost, Katherine Fleming, Executive Vice President Martin Dorph, and COVID-19 Prevention & Response Team executive lead Dr. Carlo Ciotoli, wrote in the memo.
"It's not a cause for alarm, but it is a cause for concern, caution, and appropriate actions."
"Our foremost priority is the health and well-being of NYU community members. With that as a foundation and guide, our academic priority is to ensure that the academic progress of our students is maintained and crucial end of semester assessments (examinations, papers, etc.) can be smoothly and successfully completed," they wrote.
NYU also encouraged all final examinations and/or assessments be changed to a remote or online format and said all students will be required to upload proof of a COVID-19 booster shot by Jan. 18.
"This is not quite how we expected to end the semester; however, if there is any consistency to the coronavirus, it is its unpredictability," Fleming said.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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