UC-Berkeley Officials Lift COVID-19 Residence Halls Quarantine Order
BERKELEY (CBS SF) -- Amid a dramatic decline in new on-campus COVID-19 cases, University of California-Berkeley officials lifted a quarantine order Tuesday that had been imposed on Feb. 1 for students living in its residential halls.
According to the University dashboard, there were 156 new cases reported among students the week of Jan 31. The following week that number dropped to 97 and for the first two days of this week there have only been eight new cases.
UC Berkeley student affairs officials sent out an email, declaring that the quarantine was being lifted as of Tuesday.
"We realize that the last two weeks have been a challenging time for everyone involved, and we truly appreciate you doing your part to mitigate the surge of infections," the email read. "Your sacrifices have made a huge difference."
With the quarantine order lifted, students will also be allowed to return to indoor dining halls to pickup meals and go outside for exercise. However, those students who have tested positive must still remain in self isolation until their 14-day quarantine period ends.
The email also warned students to remain vigilant, the virus was still present on campus and a new surge could take place if they don't socially distance and wear masks.
"Now that the self-sequester is being lifted, we wish to remind everyone that it's still critical to limit in-person interaction to your household grouping, practice physical distancing, wash hands frequently, and wear face coverings," the email stated.
The university will also continue to require those living in residence halls, apartments and suites to undergo weekly testing.
