Virginia Tech KICKS OUT 134 students who failed to comply with its compulsory vaccine mandate or present an exemption
Virginia Tech has disenrolled more than 100 students who failed to submit vaccination documentations, university officials state.
A total of 134 students have been disenrolled by Virginia Tech for failing to submit their vaccination or exemption documents to an online portal.
The school set an August 6 deadline for students to upload proof of vaccination to maintain their class schedule and housing selection after announcing the requirement in June.
All students must to be fully vaccinated to return for the fall semester, or provide a medical or religious exemption. Classes began on August 23.
It is unknown whether the students did not provide their vaccination status because of an objection to the mandate, or because they were planning to leave their studies for another reason.
Associate Vice President of University Relations Mark Owczarski told Fox 8: 'The university does not know whether any of these students were not planning to return for reasons unrelated to the COVID-19 vaccine requirement.'
Owczarski added that attempts have been made to contact the 134 students, and they are welcome to reenroll at the university if they provide their vaccine documents.
It comes after the University of Virginia disenrolled 238 students for failure to comply with the school's vaccinate requirements
The school reported only 49 of the 238 students were enrolled for fall classes.
Virginia Tech disenrolled 134 students who failed to prove vaccination status
All students were required to submit proof of vaccination by August 6 to maintain their class schedule and housing selection. All employees will have to prove vaccination status by October 1
The school requires all those with an approved vaccine exemption for medical or religious reasons to submit to mandatory weekly testing in accordance with state guidelines. The school updates its dashboard with the results
All Virginia Tech students are required to be fully vaccinated in order to return for their fall semester, with approved religious and medical exemptions.
Roughly 95 per cent of the 37,000 students enrolled at Virginia Tech say they are vaccinated.
Eighty-eight per cent of the university's employees are reportedly vaccinated. As of August 19, the school shifted its views and is now requiring all employees to become vaccinated by October 1, regardless if they are working remotely or not.
Associate Vice President of University Relations Mark Owczarski said he wasn't sure if the students were not planning on returning due to the COVID-19 guidelines or for other reasons
The school requires all those with an approved vaccine exemption for medical or religious reasons to submit to mandatory weekly testing in accordance with state guidelines.
The school updates its dashboard with the results.
The school is currently requiring all students and faculty to wear masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status.
However, the school did drop its mass gathering restrictions, in according with state guidelines.
Students, employees, and visitors will be required to wear masks in high risk zones. Students and employees are not required to wear a mask indoors if they are in their office or dorm room.
The school announced it will review it's guidelines in September and reevaluate the certain restriction placed on students and employees.
Virginia is experiencing a spike in cases with over 8,000 new cases being reported on August 30 and a seven-day average of more than 3,000.
The state currently has almost 60 per cent of its citizens vaccinated.
COVID-19 continues to rise in cases across the US with more than 280,000 new cases reported on August 30.
Fifty-three per cent of US citizens have been fully vaccinated, with 61 per cent receiving at least one dose of the vaccine.
Not only are they requiring the vaccine for all staff and students, but Virginia Tech and The University of Virginia have partnered together to develop a new vaccine to prevent COVID-19, as well as its variants.
Dr. Steven Zeichner, from University of Virginia, and Dr. Xiang-Jin Meng, from Virginia Tech, are working together to create a fusion peptide vaccine.
Their vaccine could be ready for human trial in as little as six months.
This vaccine could help Virginia lower its COVID-19 cases eventually.
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