Lancaster Countyâs two largest colleges say they believe they re in compliance with new state guidelines after the Pennsylvania Department of Education this week urged colleges and universities statewide to conduct classes virtually âto the maximum extent feasibleâ and consider delaying the return of students to campus for the spring semester.
Those two actions, Acting Secretary of Education Noe Ortega said in a news release Wednesday, could combat the âalarming increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations,â which âare expected to worsen in January at a time when students normally return to campus.â
As for how long colleges and universities should hold off on welcoming students back, Education Department spokeswoman Kendall Alexander said the state wants âeveryone to make judgments based on the data we are seeing and to work to wait to return until we are in a more manageable position across the state.â