By Long Beach State’s student government voiced their concerns with how issues surrounding COVID-19 on campus have been affecting the community.
Associated Student Inc. Sen. Issac Julian and Sen. Karen Galindo brought their concerns to the Senate during their latest meeting on Wednesday Sept. 22, where they discussed the enforcement of COVID-19 policies and protocol, such as the daily prescreen that students must fill out in order to come onto campus.
“Some students shared that they were anxious about their classes on campus due to the risk of catching COVID-19,” Sen. Julian said.” While there are precautions in place to help reduce the spread, some students still think that they may be exposed to COVID while on campus.”
Students must fill out the prescreen prior to coming onto campus, which determines whether they are eligible to attend on-campus classes.
But according to some members of the senate, there is a growing concern that students are not filling them out since professors do not check for the prescreen.
And as of Monday, Sept. 20, the data showed there were 19 unresolved cases on campus in the last 30 days.
Sen. Anthony Regina backed up the concerns that were brought up, saying that students have not been seeing faculty check for the green checkmarks that proves a student has completed the questionnaire.
“Like you see the post signs to wear your mask and do the prescreen, but no one checking is really checking,” Sen. Regina said. “The only facility that [has] being truly checking is the SRWC, which is understandable because it’s a place of large student interaction, but so is the USU and every building and place on campus.”
Other senators said their constituents were confused on whether they had to fill out the COVID-19 prescreen if all their classes were online.
Sen. Regina added that students were also having trouble finding The Chartroom, an on-campus restaurant repurposed as a COVID-19 testing facility for students. The Chartroom is one of several locations on campus that will remain closed during the semester due to safety precautions.
Piya Bose, Dean of Students, addressed several concerns, saying that Student Health Services is working on creating news signs and postage to help students find the building.
She also said that 97% of students attending classes on campus have been vaccinated against COVID-19. But clarified that faculty members are not required to check for the green checkmarks before class.
Bose said the prescreens are vital for students to fill out, as it not only protects the individual student but the student body as well.
“Even if they are just coming to buy from the bookstore, the prescreen still needs to be filled out,” Bose said.
Bose said that gradually more facilities on campus are requiring students to show their green checkmark before entering, but there is no timetable as to when that policy will be enforced.
For more information regarding COVID-19 policies, visit the COVID-19 information page. The next ASI meeting will be held on Wednesday, 9/29 at 3:30 p.m.
