The safety precautions De Anza College is taking are necessary for the health and safety of the students and faculty. 

With the return to campus after over a year of closure from the COVID-19 pandemic, De Anza is taking cautious measures to stop the virus in our community.

When campus closed in March of 2020, De Anza immediately took action, making almost all courses meet online only. Continuing this trend of looking out for the safety of everyone, reopening has been cautious and gradual.

De Anza’s COVID-19 policy states that full vaccination or limited exemption (with regular COVID-19 testing) is required to be on campus. Masks are also required indoors and a health check-in must be completed each time a person goes on campus, screening for COVID-19 symptoms.

In addition to health requirements for individuals, De Anza has increased efforts to make the classrooms themselves safer. Improved ventilation, plexiglass shields, readily available hand sanitizer, and extra masks have been made available to increase on-campus safety.

These measures not only increase campus safety, but help people feel safer on campus.

De Anza has also ensured the health of students by limiting the number of in-person classes. 

Ilan Glasman, director of the music department, said, “Only about 13% of De Anza students have returned to campus for fall quarter.” 

Keeping the number of students on campus low helps with social distancing and reduces the potential vectors of transmission.

If the campus maintains this level of safety, it seems achievable for pre-COVID-19 numbers of students to return to campus by fall 2022. With every successful quarter, more and more people are able to come onto campus.

Overall, De Anza’s COVID policy has helped me ease into school with the safety concerns I have after an almost 2-year lockdown. I know that if I keep doing my part, De Anza will do theirs.