With the spring semester in full swing, Omicron cases continue to be on the rise nationally and on college campuses.
Currently, the university has 159 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 77 of the cases being students and 82 of them faculty and staff.
From Jan. 13 to Jan. 19, the City of Oxford COVID-19 count over the past seven days is 1,108, according to the City of Oxford website.
As of Jan. 20, the Mississippi State Department of Health reported 7,509 new cases in the state. Over the past seven days, there have been 137 new active COVID-19 cases on campus.
According to NPR, more than 1,000 college campuses required vaccinations last year. Although the University of Mississippi does not require vaccinations, the school continues to urge students to get vaccinated if they have not already.
Students and professors at UM are struggling with maintaining the in-person class structure.
Briana Reaser, a sophomore public health major, said her professor canceled class 15 minutes into the lecture, due to a mild cough.
“In a way, it is a disruption to typical class activity that has been scheduled in advance. She stated we would resort to not having class on Fridays in order to limit contact with other students. Although the concern is nice, some pay for their education and are not getting its full value,” Reaser said.
The IHL still expects an uprising in cases throughout the beginning of the semester, with a fall as school continues.
Students are still apprehensive about the rising case numbers.
Jennifer Tran, a sophomore pharmaceutical sciences major, is fearful of the continuous rise of cases.
“I’m afraid of possible shut down and reverting back to online classes. If we attend to the rules of the CDC and the university, then the cases should hopefully decrease,” Tran said.
