MEDFORD, MA — Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn wrote to Tufts University President Tony Monaco this month about the school’s plan to reopen campus this fall. In her letter, dated July 22, Lungo-Koehn expressed her “concerns and apprehension” over the university’s health and safety plan amid the “daily increases in COVID-19 cases and transmission rates from around the United States.”
The school’s plan calls for testing all students, including those living off-campus, as they return to classes this fall. Frequent testing of students and student-facing faculty and staff throughout the semester to identify asymptomatic carriers, rapid diagnostic testing of those exhibiting symptoms and contact tracing when cases are confirmed will also be done.
Students diagnosed with COVID-19 will be housed in modular residential units that will be set up on campus before the start of the semester, while those living with them will quarantine in their residences.
Lungo-Koehn called the plan to rigorously test and isolate potential cases “overly ambitious” and said it does not account for students returning from areas that are now seeing surges in cases. It also does not consider students leaving campus to visit local businesses and amenities, the mayor said.
“Residents and businesses have sacrificed greatly in order to get where we are now – to a point where restaurants can reopen, parks and playgrounds can be used, and personal services can resume operation after being closed for months,” she wrote. “Without question, introducing thousands of students from across the United States and around the world to the Medford community will increase the possibility of infection and put months of hard work and sacrifice at risk.”
Tufts plans to hold classes in person, online or over a hybrid format, meaning students will return to on- and off-campus housing in Medford and Somerville. In his response to Lungo-Koehn’s letter, Monaco said the decision to reopen campus was “driven by data and modeling and built to be flexible given the uncertainties we have experienced so far in the pandemic.”
“We are watching the developments in each state daily as well as guidance from the Commonwealth and will make adjustments to our plans as needed, including amending move-in phases for undergraduates,” Monaco wrote. “We will also comply with the state’s requirement for out-of-region students to quarantine upon arrival. While they can produce a negative test result 72 hours before travel, they will still be tested on the first day upon arrival and every three (3) days subsequently to reduce the number of initial cases and thus spread.”
The university will require students to remain in quarantine until at least the first two coronavirus tests are negative, said Monaco. Students will also be required to wear masks whenever they leave their room, both on- and off-campus.
Tufts will implement the following health and safety measures:
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Many classes will be taught online and in a hybrid manner to reduce student movement on- and off-campus and allow students to learn remotely whenever possible.
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Residential spaces will use a small-group model limiting close interactions to groups (residential cohorts) of 6 to 12 students, particularly to provide for social engagement while reducing risk; co-curricular activities will change; and our dining facilities will offer additional hours, locations, options to pre-order food, and a reservation system to reduce crowding.
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Reducing the density of classrooms and some residence halls and reserving adequate room capacity for students who need to be in quarantine or isolation.
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Implementing social distancing guidelines, mask-wearing requirements, strict hygiene practices, health screenings and COVID testing. We are working closely with the local DPH and the Commonwealth to implement integrated protocols for contact tracing for all close contacts of index cases.
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Implementing a three-part COVID-19 testing program [tufts.box.com] [PDF] informed by the Higher Education Testing Group’s report, that will include:
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(1) initial testing of all students (both students living on- and off-campus) upon their return to campus to begin the fall semester, with results within 24 hours,
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(2) regular surveillance testing of all students (both students living on- and off-campus) at least two times a week and student-facing faculty and staff at least once a week to identify asymptomatic carriers, with results within 24 hours, and
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(3) rapid diagnostic on-site testing of those exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 infection, with results within two hours.
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Developing an app to inform students and student-facing staff and faculty of their schedule for testing, send reminders, and inform them of results.
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Students diagnosed with COVID-19 will be housed in modular residential units (“mods”) on the Medford/Somerville campus, while the other members of their residential cohort will go into quarantine in their existing residential spaces or additional spaces as required.
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Students who live off-campus will be considered to be in a residential cohort with their housemates. Any student who lives off-campus will be required to convalesce on campus if they test positive for COVID-19. If one member of an off-campus residential cohort tests positive, their housemates will also go into quarantine with frequent health checks, COVID-19 testing and EMS support.
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Face covering requirements are also extended to students living off-campus.
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In line with state guidelines, gatherings are currently limited to 10 people. Hosting or participating in larger gatherings is prohibited and will be subject to disciplinary action.
The university will hold a community meeting Aug. 4 to further discuss its reopening plans.
This article originally appeared on the Medford Patch
