COVID Counter: 2022 updates

By Olivia Nicoletti

As the pandemic has taken a turn for the better, regulations at Rider’s campus are slimming down. 

The COVID-19 contact tracing and case management will no longer be facilitated at Rider during the 2022-2023 academic year. This will include any housing on campus dedicated to quarantining and isolation, according to the university website.

Students and staff are asked to monitor symptoms daily and not come to campus if they are symptomatic.

According to the university website, vaccinations are still required on campus for those who are not enrolled in a fully online program or have a religious or medical exemption. The vaccination could be a single-dose series or a two-dose series; however, the booster is still not required in order to be on campus.

“I think it’s the fact that the virus is moving to a more endemic stage as opposed to pandemic, which means it’s prevalent throughout society. It’s also waning in terms of its severity,” said Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Planning and Secretary of the Board Debbie Stasolla. “There are more tools at our disposal for each of us to take personal responsibility to protect ourselves and others.”

Stasolla said that there is always potential for the situation to change but the university is prepared if that does happen.

“The virus is following what scientists say is the typical course of a virus where it gradually weakens and weakens, but who’s to say, so we should be prepared,” Stasolla said. “Given that the virus for most individuals is not severe, and that we can each make choices about our own health and how to protect ourselves, right now, we feel this is the proper course that we’ve taken by pulling back on many of the requirements that we had in place previously.”

Andrew Bernstein, a senior political science major and president of the Student Government Association (SGA), has served on the SGA board since the start of the pandemic.

“I think we’ve been really diligent throughout the entire pandemic. Especially keeping in line with CDC and state guidance,” Bernstein said.

Stasolla commends students, faculty, staff and visitors for abiding by the guidelines that the COVID-19 Implementation Team has put in place during the past two years.

“We couldn’t have done it without everyone’s cooperation and understanding,” Stasolla said.