With college students coming home, coronavirus precautions should be put in place

MASON CITY — Iowa State University, the University of Northern Iowa and several other colleges will have their fall semester end tomorrow, meaning some students will not only be returning home for the Thanksgiving holiday but also until classes resume after the first of the year. When they return home, there’s the possibility of bringing coronavirus home from college.

Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health director Brian Hanft says while it would be ideal to quarantine those coming home from college, that’s not likely to happen in most instances. “It would be preferred if those kids coming back that haven’t tested positive that they quarantine. Now I know how that’s going to work, it’s not going to work very well, but certainly limiting those kids to not get together in large groups, make sure they are in small groups, especially with the governor’s new mandate, that they’re not going out on the town with big groups, and also wearing their mask. Washing their hands. Some of the basic core things we’re asking other people to do.”

While Iowa State and UNI have their fall semester end on Wednesday, University of Iowa students get a Thanksgiving break starting on Wednesday. Classes will resume on November 30th, but they will all be online through the end of the fall semester.