The University of Montana increases its messaging of pandemic safety as the campus heads into the holiday break.
But University of Montana President Seth Bodnar remains grateful faculty, students and staff are continuing to keep the university's case counts manageable since classes resumed this fall.
UM has actually been noted around the country for its success in managing operations and learning during the Fall semester. While the university saw a spike in new case reports on October 1st, since then the Missoula City-County Health Department reports new daily cases have leveled out, with 68-active cases today.
President Bodnar says that's due to cooperation from every aspect of the campus community.
Still, UM leaders are watching broader case trends and warning everyone to keep following guidelines, especially if they travel over the holidays.
“You know, despite the inevitable COVID fatigue that we're seeing, we have to keep up those precautions," said Bodnar. "And so throughout the semester, we have again been continuing to reiterate, with our students, to wear their masks, to keep their distance, to avoid large groups. And as we've entered November, frankly, we've amplified that messaging even further.”
Bodnar says classes during the Winter Session will be primarily online, and he expects to see a continued combination of in-class and remote learning into the spring.
