Cornell Will Go Online Through Feb. 4

Cornell University announced Thursday that classes during the first two weeks of the spring semester, from Jan. 24 to Feb. 4., will be online.

“This will ensure that anyone who tests positive during break, or shortly before their planned travel, can isolate at home and delay their return to Ithaca while using remote learning to avoid academic disruption,” said a letter from Martha E. Pollack, the president, and others. “It will also limit academic disruption for students who become positive during travel, or shortly after their return to campus. And it will provide protection against academic disruption for students whose travel may be interrupted, for example, because of the now-frequent airline cancellations.”

The university also announced that cloth masks will not meet requirements for mask wearing. “Evolving guidance recommends N95/KN95 as the most effective to preventing Omicron,” the letter said. “Cloth masks on their own no longer meet Cornell standards for protection. Cornell plans to provide high-quality (e.g., N95, KN95) masks to campus community members who need them.”