The University of Hawaii is reopening for its Fall semester on Monday, August 24, but of course is instituting new guidelines to address the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The guidelines apply to all of the University’s ten campuses. UH says the guidelines cover multiple aspects of operations and each campus will develop its own operational plan based on its own situation.
Some of the basic guidelines include:
- Wearing facial coverings when interacting in-person with others – and when indoors, in common areas and where physical distancing is not possible
- Staying home when ill or possibly exposed to the virus, washing hands regularly and practicing physical distancing
- Safety practices to screen, report, monitor and manage COVID-19 cases
- Regular cleaning and disinfecting of buildings, classrooms, workspaces and frequently touched surfaces and/or equipment
- Providing cleaning/sanitizing wipes and hand sanitizer in each classroom and sanitizing dispensers located at classroom building entryways
- Campus signage promoting common recommended guidance to prevent the spread of COVID-19
- Reducing the number of in-person courses by using online and hybrid options while ensuring students can achieve the same learning objectives regardless of instructional format
- Reconfiguring classrooms and work environments to meet the recommended 6 feet of social distance and installing physical barriers such as plexiglass at public-facing transaction counters and where 6-foot social distancing is difficult or not possible
- Controlling the flow of people within buildings by adjusting entry and exit points
- Modifications to residence halls and campus eateries to ensure access to student support services, protocols for food handling
- Guidance on facilities usage for campus and non-campus events
- Providing resources for mental health support, coping with stress and assisting individuals in domestic violence situations
UH President David Lassner said it’s imperative that anybody who is ill stay home, and those on campus need to follow all the guidelines relative to masks, distancing, and hygiene. He noted the guidelines are always subject to revision.
The full guidelines are available here: https://www.hawaii.edu/covid19-guidelines/
