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Cornell University President Martha Pollack said in a letter to the campus community on Tuesday, Dec. 14, that the university would move to Alert Level Red due to the "rapid spread" of COVID-19 and the fact that the Omicron variant was identified "in a significant number of Monday’s positive student samples."
As of Sunday, Dec. 12, there were 469 active COVID-19 cases among students, including 214 new cases, according to the university's COVID-19 dashboard.
The university said 97 percent of the on-campus population has registered as vaccinated against COVID-19.
Pollack said all university activities involving undergraduates have been canceled, and libraries and fitness centers are closed.
Visitors and guests aren't allowed on campus unless picking students up for the break, she said.
"It is obviously extremely dispiriting to have to take these steps. However, since the start of the pandemic, our commitment has been to follow the science and do all we can to protect the health of our faculty, staff, and students," she said. "We have faced many challenges together over the last many months. I am confident that we can once again rise to meet this current challenge so we can all take a well-deserved break."
Read the full letter here.
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