CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It's back to the actual classroom for the Charlotte 49ers on Monday after starting the spring semester remotely due to COVID-19.
Due to concerns of the omicron surge after the holiday break, UNC Charlotte started with virtual learning when the semester started on Jan. 10.
"Last time I was on campus was right before break," Maryam Thomas, a grad student at UNC Charlotte, said.
She's loved the ability to learn online and is uneasy about a return to normal.
"Especially in a school setting where we're all sitting close, next to each other and we all do all different types of things in our personal lives... so it is concerning," Thomas said.
The university believed a two-week delay to in-person learning would get past the worst of the omicron surge.
However, there are still nearly 5,000 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in North Carolina as of Monday.
Transmission is still high as well with more than 35,000 new cases reported in the state on Friday alone.
"A lot of people have gotten COVID who I know and five days later they're out and about," Thomas explained. "So, that scares me a little."
UNC Charlotte staff and students must show proof of their vaccination status. If they don't have a booster shot, they need a negative test before moving in, according to the school's protocols.
No matter your vaccine status, masks will be required inside all buildings, according to the school's website.
"I think they're doing their best," Thomas added.
A fair report card as the school and its students hope to keep a clean bill of health.
Vaccines, including boosters, will be offered every Thursday and Friday on campus. Testing is also offered for anyone who needs it on campus.
Contact Hunter Sáenz at hsaenz@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
WCNC Charlotte is part of seven major media companies and other local institutions reporting on and engaging the community around the problems and solutions as they relate to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a project of the Charlotte Journalism Collaborative, which is supported by the Local Media Project, an initiative launched by the Solutions Journalism Network with support from the Knight Foundation to strengthen and reinvigorate local media ecosystems. See all of our reporting at charlottejournalism.org.