Gov. Lamont reassures parents as college classes start, but rules can be confusing

Gov. Ned Lamont reassured parents that their children will be safe as they head back to college while speaking at Central Connecticut State University with other education officials Wednesday.

News 12 Staff

Aug 26, 2020, 2:33 PM

Updated 1,430 days ago

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Gov. Ned Lamont reassured parents that their children will be safe as they head back to college while speaking at Central Connecticut State University with other education officials Wednesday.
Sacred Heart University held its first day of move-ins, and students tell News 12 that they're not worried.
"Everything was super spread out and safe with all the new precautions being taken," says freshman Leah Giambertone.
Plenty of parents still are, which is why Lamont tried to reassure them.
"There's been a lot of anxiety about getting back to school. It involves our kids," he says.
Students will see a lot of changes.
"The dining facilities have been rethought. There's less in-person dining; there's a lot of grab-and-go dining," says acting Connecticut Public Health Commissioner Deidre Gifford.
There are also changes they won't see, like the millions spent in ventilation upgrades. However, the rules vary widely depending on where you go to school.
At UConn, everyone has to get a COVID-19 test. At state schools, such as WestConn and community colleges, commuter students are exempt.
So are teachers. School leaders defended this decision.
"Everyone on our campuses will be required to wear masks and keep physical distance," says Connecticut State Colleges and Universities President Mark Ojakian.
The state's Higher Education Committee says that's not enough. It wants temperature checks for anyone entering campus buildings, increased testing and more options for virtual teaching.
At UConn, officials say they're more concerned about keeping students from parties.
"Compliance overall has been extremely good," says UConn President Tom Katsouleas. "When you walk around the Storrs campus, for example, you see almost every student walking around with a mask on."
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