NIACC dealing with Covid-19 on a daily basis

Community college takes a unique approach

Institutions of higher learning across the nation continue to struggle with the coronavirus... some seeing disturbing spikes in positive tests.

One community college in our area is bucking that trend.

Kimt news 3's nick kruszalnicki is live in mason city with the details.

Nick?

George and katie ?

"* earlier this afternoon, i talked with niacc president steve schulz about the situation with covid?

"*19 on campus ?

"* he t me handling the pandemic is really a day?

"*by?

"* day batt "we're doing our best to keep the campus safe and healthy."

Those efforts include plexiglas partitions, mandatory masks and keeping students socially distanced.

Still, it's impossible to completely stop the virus.

"last week, we had an exposure to a larger group of students and we did quarantine a large number of students until we had an oppotunity to go back through the contract tracing process."

Niacc has only seven confirmed cases of covid 19 among students and staff.

Five students are being quarantined, and out of those two are isolated in student housing.

Niacc president steve schulz says the college is working with those students.

"we're just going to operate with an abundance of caution and make sure we keep people as safe as possible.

Our students have been understanding and pretty flexible.

Faculty are meeting their needs if they're in quarantine."

Sophomore jack mcguire is glad to see things returning to normal.

"it feels good to be back on campus.

Especially because last year got cut kind of short.

It feels good to be back in school, which is ironic because most students don't want to come back to school.

It feels good to see everybody, talk to the teachers again."

He thinks niacc has done an excellent job keeping covid?

"* 19 from halting his education.

"i don't feel like i'm in risk schulz also told me the college is working on getting equipment so they can do rapid testing for coronavirus right here on campus.

Live in mason city, nick kruszalnicki, kimt news 3.

Thanks nick.

Niacc is also trying to limit the number of students on campus on any given day.

Students are doing some of their coursework online.