Cornell University Admits ‘Virtually Every Case’ of Omicron in Fully Vaccinated Students

Almost “every case” of the Omicron variant of the Chinese coronavirus at Cornell University has occurred in fully vaccinated students, some of whom have also received the booster shot, the university revealed this week.

The Ivy League school has experienced a spike in cases in the last week, reporting 1,345 cases from December 9-15, according to the university’s coronavirus dashboard, which also revealed that 97 percent of the campus — students, faculty, and staff — are vaccinated. Students attending on-campus for this academic year, 2021-2022, are required to be vaccinated, with exceptions for religious or medical reasons. 

Cornell President Martha Pollack provided an update to students this week, noting a “rapid spread” of the virus and the lab identifying “evidence of the highly contagious Omicron variant in a significant number of Monday’s positive student samples.”

“While I want to provide reassurance that, to date, we have not seen severe illness in any of our infected students, we do have a role to play in reducing the spread of the disease in the broader community,” Pollack said – READ MORE