Massachusetts community colleges will reverse course and require that students, faculty and staff get the COVID-19 vaccine by Jan. 22, according to a statement issued Monday by all of the state's 15 community college presidents. But MassBay Community College President David Podell said a recent increase in COVID-19 cases proved to be a tipping point. "The community college presidents collectively were watching the numbers rise: the numbers of individuals who were testing positive, hospitalized and the number of deaths," said Podell in an interview. MassBay, which has campuses in Framingham, Ashland and Wellesley, does not know how many of its students or staff are vaccinated, said Podell. In preparation for vaccinating its population, Massachusetts community colleges will continue to make vaccine clinics available on site, as participants in the White House's COVID-19 College Vaccine Challenge.

Source: MetroXpress September 20, 2021 19:41 UTC