San Diego State will soon be distributing COVID-19 vaccines at Calpulli Center pending approval from the state of California. Meanwhile, the university has postponed in-person instruction for most currently approved courses until March 1.
Governor Gavin Newsom announced last week the arrival of more than 2 million doses of vaccines in the state for qualified individuals through phase one, which includes paramedics, health care workers and individuals over 75. Once SDSU is approved to administer vaccines, all faculty, staff and students will be able to receive them as they become eligible. The university expects its distribution site will be approved within the week.
On Jan. 23, the county expanded vaccine eligibility to San Diegans 65 or older. The county is distributing vaccines at several sites, including Petco Park, and appointments are available through the county website.
Amidst the hurried rollout of vaccines, the university also announced a delay of in-person instruction, with most courses containing in-person elements to continue virtually until March 1. This comes after San Diego County reported over 100,000 new cases in the last 30 days, with many ICUs having reached full capacity.
In the days since the start of the semester on Jan. 20, SDSU has 14 three positive cases among individuals “associated with campus housing,” according to the university’s COVID-19 dashboard.
However, the university is optimistic that this spike in cases will stabilize near the end of February, and continue improving as more people are vaccinated, a Jan. 22 email stated.
“If enough individuals are vaccinated, and given the high efficacy that has been observed, we may reach a point where there is herd immunity in late summer or early fall,” said infectious disease epidemiologist and Interim Director of SDSU’s School of Public Health Eyal Oren.
Previously, SDSU had planned to delay the start of spring in-person classes until Feb. 3 to allow time for students to complete mandatory testing requirements.
Students are reminded to adhere to the San Diego County and state health guidelines.
COVID-19 Testing and Resources:
SDSU offers free COVID-19 testing to all currently enrolled students, faculty and staff. Testing on-campus is available by appointment only. To schedule an appointment, students can call Student Health Services at 619-594-4325. Online appointments can also be scheduled through HealtheConnect, SDSU’s secure online health portal.
San Diego County also operates a free, drive-through and walk-up testing site at SDSU located at 6200 Alvarado Road in Parking Lot 17B as well as a walk-up testing center at the Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center located on 55th Street. Both sites are open to the public and do not require an appointment, more information is available at the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency testing website.
EDITOR’S NOTE: An earlier version of this story included the headline “SDSU begins vaccine rollout, delays in-person instruction until March,” it has since been changed to clarify the university’s vaccine timeline. SDSU is currently awaiting county approval to administer the COVID-19 vaccine and is currently not distributing any doses.
