In anticipation of a post-holiday surge in COVID-19 cases, San Diego State University announced on Wednesday that it will begin its spring 2022 semester online.
Students will attend classes virtually with some minor exceptions beginning Jan.19, according to an emailed statement by SDSU President Adela de la Torre. In-person instruction is scheduled for Feb.7.
"The temporary start in the virtual space will allow the January case spike to subside, and also provide a window for those who recently received their COVID-19 booster an additional two-week period for it to take full effect," de la Torre said.
According to recent state figures, the number of COVID-19 positive patients continues to rise, resulting in San Diego County's seven-day positivity rate of tests ranking at 24.1 percent on Tuesday.
County health officials reported there were 717 people in the county hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Wednesday, up from 682 on Tuesday, 664 on Monday, 628 on Sunday, 590 on Saturday, 510 on Friday and 475 on Thursday.
There are about 20 more patients in intensive care, bringing the cumulative total to 141. The number of available ICU beds increased by seven to 188.
Campuses will remain open, but only specialized courses which need to meet in person will be allowed. Students who live on campus can also return starting Jan. 17 but the university encouraged students to delay their return until after Feb. 4.
All students, faculty, and staff in the California State University System are required to receive the COVID-19 booster shot by Jan.18, 2022, to be considered fully vaccinated and to attend classes in person.
Following SDSU, the University of California School system will move its spring quarter online throughout all 10 schools. UC San Diego announced it would shift classes to a remote learning model from Jan. 3 through Jan.17.
