University of Washington, Seattle University to return to in-person learning

SEATTLE — The University of Washington and Seattle University will return to in-person learning at the end of January after starting winter quarter online because of a omicron-fueled spike in COVID-19 cases.

A letter from President Ana Mari Cauce to students on Monday said COVID-19 cases locally are declining, allowing the school to proceed with returning to in-person classes, KIRO-TV reported.

“The improving public health situation and the resulting reduction in coronavirus-related disruptions allow us to follow through with our plans to return to largely in-person classes and learning experiences on Monday, Jan. 31,” Cauce wrote in the letter.

Eduardo M. Peñalver, the president of Seattle University, also wrote to students and staff Monday to say that classes would resume in-person on Jan. 31. The school had opted to go remote earlier, also because of the rise in COVID cases

Cauce wrote that students should expect their classes to be in the original format listed in the time schedule unless told otherwise. Accommodations can be requested by those with health-related conditions or needs that put them at heightened risk, according to the letter.

The school announced in December that most classes would be held online for the first week of winter quarter in January. Remote instruction was extended as COVID-19 cases continued to rise.