San Diego State has reintroduced a stay-at-home advisory for all students on and off campus as the Halloween weekend approaches and after several large gatherings shared on social media were reported, according to a recent email.
The advisory will last from 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 23 until Monday, Nov. 2 at 6 a.m. Students are recommended to stay at home except for essential functions such as doing classwork, working, getting food, receiving medical care and voting, the email stated.
The university says the advisory should help continue stabilizing case numbers as it has over the last six weeks.
SDSU has reported 1,208 positive cases of COVID-19 among students since the start of the semester – 419 among students living on-campus and 789 among students off-campus – according to the university’s coronavirus dashboard.
“It takes only one person, even one who is asymptomatic, to create a public health risk,” the email stated. “We again ask you to avoid gatherings of any type that do not comply with public health guidelines.”
As an alternative to Halloween parties that could increase the spread of the virus, the university is hosting multiple virtual Halloween-related events for all students to attend.
Aztec Nights: Fall Festival is occurring on Saturday, Oct. 24 from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. Additionally, Aztec Nights: Halloween Spook-Tacular will be held on Saturday, Oct. 31 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. More info on these events, including how to sign up, can be found on the Aztec Nights webpage.
The university reiterates that students found in violation of COVID-19-related code of conduct policies “face sanctions, including suspension and expulsion.”
To date, SDSU has issued more than 800 warnings to students living off campus and a private security team contracted by the university continues to patrol campus and College Area neighborhoods reporting any COVID-19 policy violations.
For more information on the latest COVID-19 numbers at SDSU, visit the university’s official coronavirus webpage.
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.
Students visiting and living on campus are highly encouraged to practice social responsibility by wearing facial coverings, avoiding large gatherings and washing their hands frequently.
