By Hannah Ziegler

Vice President of Student Affairs Patty Perillo held a community town hall Thursday, March 4 to address student concerns regarding the university’s vaccine rollout and plans for the fall semester. 

Perillo said that University of Maryland administrators received confirmation Wednesday that there is a new coronavirus strain on campus. She added that a campus-wide email Friday, March 5 would provide additional information on the variant. Perillo said she could not specify which new strain of the virus is present on campus.

Perillo told students that the university has been operating under the assumption that coronavirus variants are in the campus environment. She speculated that the new variants caused the rapid rise in cases that led to the most recent sequester-in-place.

“[The presence of variants] is why we saw a swift, quick, intense rise of positive cases, and we said we have to lay low.  We did, and the numbers have been terrific in the past couple of days,” Perillo said. 

The email containing information about new coronavirus variants will also provide information about spring break, Perillo said.

Perillo said that the university has no plans of shutting down campus after spring break. 

“There is never an interest in shutting down,” Perillo said. “The hope is that we never have to use the same strategies as we did last year,”

Since the university is not conducting testing over spring break, students planning to get tested during that time will have a grace period, Perillo said.

Perillo said that vaccine shortages across the state stifled university efforts to secure an on-campus vaccine clinic. A university working group dedicated to vaccine rollout is prepared to begin work on a campus vaccine facility as soon as the state gives the green light. 

Perillo added that the university plans to partner with a hospital to support vaccine distribution to university students, faculty and greater Prince George’s County. 

Perillo said that it is not likely the university will have vaccines by the end of the spring semester. This prompted administrators to consider setting up clinics in July and August for students to receive vaccinations before returning for the fall semester. 

She added that the University of Maryland Medical System in Cheverly has partnered with the university to dedicate 25 vaccines a week to a group of high-risk staff. Those receiving priority status for vaccines are in the 1A group for the state’s vaccine distribution.

In addressing how the coronavirus will affect the university’s plans for the fall 2021 semester, Perillo was hopeful that the university would continue progressing towards normal campus operations. 

“Our goal is to do all that we can to lift and open up. In the fall semester, we are looking at 92-100% students in resident halls. We are looking at continuing to increase connections, activities and physical presence,” Perillo said.

Perillo added that she does not anticipate lifting 4-Maryland guidelines but noted that the university will set out fall semester guidelines between now and July. She added that coronavirus testing is likely to continue in the fall.

Perillo said University of Maryland President Darryll Pines plans to reconvene working groups commissioned by former President Wallace Loh last year. These groups will meet to discuss provisions for the fall semester, such as whether the university will require students to be vaccinated and how the classroom environments will look.

Featured image: Vice President of Student Affairs Patty Perillo addresses students at a town hall on March 4. Photo by Hannah Ziegler.