With Omicron variant surging, Tacoma college extends virtual learning through March
Tacoma Community College leaders announced Wednesday that classes will remain virtual through winter quarter amid surging COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations associated with the Omicron variant.
The college previously said it would hold most classes online for the first two weeks of the quarter, which started Jan. 3.
“This week, after reviewing public health data and consulting with college leadership, TCC decided to operate remotely for the remainder of the quarter,” according to a statement on the college’s website.
The last day of winter quarter is March 14, with finals March 15-18.
TCC president Ivan L. Harrell called the decision “agonizing” in an email to staff on Wednesday.
“We are disappointed to have to move in this direction. But our overall goal is to keep our community safe and healthy. This has been our guiding principle since March 2020, and we will not waver now,” Harrell said.
Harrell hopes the decision will help alleviate stress and provide stability for students and give TCC time to prepare to reopen for the spring quarter.
Some classes will be hosted on campus, including classes in art, nursing and music, and biology and chemistry labs.
The announcement comes at a time when COVID-19 cases are ballooning both in Pierce County and across the state. The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department noted in a report last week that the county’s case rates and hospitalizations “have tripled in recent weeks.”
Tacoma Community College has reported 40 COVID-19 cases on campus since Sept. 20, according to its website.
“At TCC, since December 20, we have received dozens of confirmed cases. Most of these cases are students and staff who have been remote. If they were on campus, we would have experienced mass exposures. And, we are already experiencing some employee shortages,” Harrell said.
This story was originally published January 14, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
