SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - UC San Diego began welcoming some students back to campus housing, with a host of COVID-19 safety precautions.
As with all things during this pandemic, move-in weekend at UCSD didn’t look quite the same.
"Kinda nervous, but excited," said freshman Alexis Estrada.
Along with the normal nervous excitement, there was the new normal. Each student given a mask and hand sanitizer, along with a coronavirus test - results within 48 hours.
The move-in for some 7,500 students - staggered throughout a 10-day span.
Residential adviser Summer Thai says the actual moving in is taking longer.
"Definitely different. More difficult to get more stuff into the room ... in elevators, we practice social distancing. One family unit at a time," said Thai.
While a vast majority of classes will be remote learning, any student going to a UCSD location will have to a complete a daily health self-screening. Students living and going to class on campus will be tested twice a month.
Freshman Nicole Rodriguez says while the pandemic life is challenging.
"I can’t really hang out with suitemates. It's kind of isolating ... But these precautions are the right thing to do," said Rodriguez.
UCSD officials are hoping to avoid the outbreak situation unfolding at San Diego State University, with more than 700 positive cases. UCSD is going high tech to ease those worries. Ongoing wastewater testing is serving as a warning system. Also, a voluntary pilot program will utilize smartphone technology to notify students if they may have been exposed.
Classes begin September 28. Nearly 90% of classes will be online.
