San Diego State University's deadline for on-campus students and student-athletes to get vaccinated has approached.
The campus sent an email last month that announced requirements for students to obtain their booster doses by Tuesday. Those who do not comply would be subject to weekly COVID-19 testing.
The mandate complies with the California State University vaccination requirements. Announced in July 202, the requirements state students, faculty, and staff must have a COVID-19 vaccination on file with the university or an approved exemption based on medical needs or religious beliefs to access campus facilities.
Many community colleges announced a virtual start to their Spring 2022 semester earlier this month due to unprecedented spikes in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. The University of California school system encouraged for their 10 schools to begin the spring quarter online.
Classes will begin virtually on Wednesday for SDSU.
San Diego County health officials recently announced COVID-19 hospitalizations have more than tripled in the past 30 days, from 354 to 1,206. Though, recent figures released by the county on Sunday show a drop in hospitalizations by 17 people to 1,206.
On Friday, health officials announced 9,878 new COVID-19 infections and five additional deaths. Figures from the county Health and Human Services Agency show the cumulative totals to 568,212 cases and 4,545 deaths since the pandemic began.
"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," SDSU President Adela de la Torre said in an email to students.
Over 2.81 million San Diegans, or about 89.4 percent of those eligible, had received at least one dose of the vaccine. The county reports 2.49 million, or 79 percent, are fully vaccinated.
San Diego State University expects to begin in-person instruction on Feb.7.
