Pause Begins at Marist, Set to End March 23

After Marist reached 100 active cases of COVID-19, the college placed the campus on a precautionary pause from 2 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon through Tuesday, March 23 at 2 p.m. Marian Hall and Champagnat Hall have been placed in a precautionary quarantine.

Unlike pauses in the fall, in-person classes, labs and classroom activities will continue throughout the pause. Surveillance testing will also continue, and the McCann Center will still be open to fitness reservations. Following the initial announcement, Vice President for Student Affairs Deborah DiCaprio clarified that this includes all students, except those in precautionary quarantine, quarantine or isolation.

Resident students are required to stay on campus: “Any students who opt to leave their residence halls must turn in their keys and notify the Resident Director prior to departure. Any students who choose to leave campus will not be permitted back on campus until they are tested for COVID-19, upload negative COVID-19 test results to the College’s portal, and receive clearance to return to campus. There are no exceptions to this policy,” the announcement included.

In-person dining, gatherings, activities and Division I Athletic programs are currently suspended, and guests will not be permitted in any residence hall. Students may walk outside with their immediate roommates and pods.

“It is important to note that our current COVID-19 case numbers remain well below the New York State guidelines that would mandate a transition to virtual learning,” the announcement added. “Nonetheless, out of an abundance of caution and to protect the health and safety of our community, we believe this is the best course of action to mitigate additional spread of the virus.”

Marian Hall and Champagnat Hall have been place in a precautionary quarantine amid Marist’s first pause of the semester. Source: Grace Maeda