Despite a coronavirus outbreak in the residence halls causing 23 additional students to test positive for the virus and in-person instruction to be paused for two-weeks, Long Beach State’s campus has remained open and operational for the time being.
No additional buildings have been closed since the two-week pause was instated, according to Gregory Woods, CSULB’s director of news media services.
Any facilities that remain open are “in response to the educational and operational needs of the campus this semester,” he said, although there are no in-person classes being held during these two weeks. Of the university’s 70 total buildings, 42 are open this fall for services that the school has deemed essential.
“While there is a pause in in-person instruction, the campus is and has been open even though most students and employees are working remotely,” Woods said.
President Jane Close Conoley announced Saturday, Sept. 26 that all on-campus residents were being placed in a two-week quarantine period after five CSULB students tested positive for COVID-19.
This outbreak has led an additional 18 students to test positive, bringing the total to 23 new cases affiliated with campus, university officials confirmed Oct. 3.
According to Woods, any housing staff who were on duty when the isolation period was implemented are also in quarantine, and an “outside vendor” is cleaning the residence halls during this time.
He said that the only employees working on campus at this time are those “performing work that cannot be completed in a virtual setting, such as first responders.”
This includes CSULB’s Student Health Services, which has remained operational for routine medical services, and the University Police Department. Although officers have continued patrolling campus this fall, UPD Captain Richard Goodwin confirmed that university-imposed social distancing and mask regulations are not being enforced.
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf located in the University Student Union has paused its minimal hours of operation until Oct. 9, according to the Associated Students, Inc. website. All other food vendors and services in the USU remain closed for the foreseeable future.
As of Sept. 30, the 49er Shops Bookstore and the Outpost Grill are still operating Monday through Friday, according to the university’s website.