WORCESTER, MASS. (WHDH) - School officials at Assumption University are canceling spring break in the hopes of preventing a coronavirus outbreak.
These campus concerns prompted the Worcester university to install a card scanner at the campus gate to keep track of students’ comings and goings.
“They said it is for COVID reasons, so they can do contact tracing,” student Alexander Geragotelis said. “But, also you only can leave if you have an approved reason.”
For example, exceptions would be made for students with off-campus jobs.
“We kind of feel in prison, most of us have been here since January, we haven’t seen our families,” Geragotelis said
Now, it’s goodbye sunshine and hello study sessions as university officials announce classes will continue through the normal week of spring break.
A spokesperson for Assumption said they are trying to create a “bubble” on campus so that in-person learning can continue for the rest of the year.
“If students would leave for a week and return there is no doubt an outbreak would occur on campus, which would require to shelter in place or sending students home for the rest of semester,” Michael Guilfoyle said.
Though commuter students like Owen Podolec are allowed to come and go as they please.
“It’s weird how they are concerned about everyone going away when we are commuters. We are going off-campus, coaches going off-campus teachers off-campus,” he said.
There was a noticeable uptick in cases reported on campus following the Columbus Daybreak.
University officials said the virus can easily spread in dorms which is why they made the move to scrap spring break and put the restrictions in place.
“We want them to stay on campus as long as possible, we want in them to have in-person learning and we want them to have that residential experience,” Guilfoyle said.
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