MINNEAPOLIS — Editor's Note: The video at the top of this article originally aired in August 2021.
Thousands of University of Minnesota Twin Cities students return to in-person learning on the West Bank on Tuesday, Jan. 18. Students and faculty will meet back in the classroom as the omicron variant of COVID-19 taking over 90% of current cases in the state of Minnesota.
The variant, which has proven to be far more infectious than previous strains, has forced many universities around the nation to make some tough decisions.
The California State University system announced several of their schools are shifting online for the first few weeks to allow time for COVID testing and case tracking.
The University of Minnesota, however, is not starting online. With Minnesota's seven-day COVID positivity average reaching it's third-highest rate in the history of the pandemic, cases recorded on U of M's campus are increasing as well, according to its latest dashboard data.
From Dec. 23 to the 29, U of M reported 60 cases of coronavirus. From Dec. 29 to Jan. 5, the university reported 145 cases of the virus. These numbers include all members of the U of M community who were tested at on-campus Boynton Health locations.
Out of the 145 cases from last week, 124 were reportedly students.
The true number of positive tests coming from U of M students and staff is most likely undercounted on the dashboard, since it only displays positive tests from Boynton Health.
With classes starting in about a week, university officials said they anticipated cases to rise as students moved in.
"I think it's logical to observe the growing numbers of positive cases in the communities surrounding the University and to then see the University experiencing some growth in cases as well, especially surrounding the start of semester, a return from a break, etc.," said Jake Ricker, the director of public relations.
However, the omicron variant is proving to be far more contagious when looking at the number of positive tests reported by U of M at the start of the fall 2021 semester.
On Sept. 7, 2021, 26 cases of COVID-19 were reported through Boynton Health.
With more than 120 student cases recorded the week before the upcoming semester starts, the U of M has 58 total isolation spaces available.
Ricker told KARE 11 that four of the spaces are currently occupied, with the rest of the positive students/staff isolating on other locations.
The university's administration is also preparing for more cases, without fully accepting a shift to online learning. It's also making room for a class-to-class basis.
President Gabel said, in an emailed statement to the campus community, that the university would work with the other Minnesota campuses on ways to allow for flexibility if professors have to temporarily adjust their courses due to quarantining.
"We recognize that for some individuals or settings, this may be difficult on occasion and/or in the short term. Watch for more guidance soon," Gabel said.
The email goes on to say some faculty members can also work remotely, with permission from their managers.
Classes for the Twin Cities campus, with more than 50,000 students, starts Tuesday, Jan. 18.
WATCH: University of Minnesota mandates COVID-19 vaccine for students: