Students returning to Bethune-Cookman University (BCU) in Daytona Beach, Florida will now be under a strict curfew as the school attempts to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
The curfew will be in effect every day from 11 pm to 7 am. Students with jobs during these hours will be provided with overnight sign-out sheets. However, those who are caught outside their dormitories without a valid excuse will automatically forfeit their campus housing arrangement.
“It’s a little crazy. It kind of cuts down on what you thought college might be, but it’s OK. I understand what it’s for and the guidelines. It’s really no issue for me,” BCU sophomore Justin Lagon told News 6 WKMG.
The rule comes after BCU has allowed in-person classes to resume and more than 2,800 students are expected to arrive on campus. Other activities in the academic calendar are also subject to change with university officials already deciding to cancel the upcoming spring break.
Apart from requiring students to undergo COVID-19 tests, the school has also assigned certain dormitories as quarantine sites for those who test positive or have been in contact with people who have the virus.
Despite the tough safety measures, BCU Junior Tyrell Merrick understands that the tough safety measures are in place to ensure their safety and that “it’s the best thing possible right now.”
Colleges vs COVID
Several universities that have chosen to resume in-person classes are seeing a rise in COVID cases for myriad reasons.
Christopher Newport University (CNU), The College of William & Mary, and the University of California, Berkeley reported a spike in cases soon after they started the spring semester. Kevin Hughes, vice president for student affairs at CNU, pointed out that students disobeying social distancing requirements largely contributed to this result.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Massachusetts Amherst will likely return to remote learning since unauthorized sports celebrations have caused COVID cases to rise.