All CSU Bakersfield students, faculty, and staff will be required to have their COVID-19 booster vaccination upon returning to campus on Feb. 11.  

Free vaccination clinics are now open every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Albertson Room of the Doré Theatre at CSUB. Appointments can be made in advance using https://myturn.ca.gov and walk-ins are welcome. Clinics will be open to the entire community.  

“Once you get the booster, there is no two-week wait to be considered boostered,” said Erika Delamar, associate director of Student Health Services at CSUB, during the monthly virtual ‘Runner Walk and Talk on Jan. 27. 

Delamar recommends for those who have had the coronavirus to be out of the ten-day isolation period, over the symptoms, and not actively sick before receiving the COVID-19 booster vaccine.  

“Medical and religious exemptions are still respected, but you are required to follow strict weekly testing to come to campus and we will be following your compliance to this,” said CSUB President Lynnette Zelezny during the ‘Runner Walk and Talk.  

Fall students and employees who were already on administrative exemption are not required to resubmit.  

“If you weren’t on that, you would need to submit that exemption, which just basically states that you are 100 percent online with your classes and you would not be accessing campus services,” said Delamar.  

Students that apply for administrative exemption may not take part in athletic events or utilize campus services, including the bookstore, library, Student Recreation Center, or Student Health Services. 

Administration exemptions, along with vaccine cards and COVID screening, can be submitted by clicking on the top of CSUB’s main webpage at https://www.csub.edu.  

CSUB will proceed to follow protocols, including an electronic health prescreening each day before arriving on campus.  

“Last week, completion of daily screenings was 64.46% by faculty. This is significantly below compliance rates from Fall 2021,” said Deborah Boschini, associate vice president of faculty affairs, in an email on Feb. 2. 

Boschini says that some on-campus exposure events over the past month have included missed or failed screenings, which “often lead to quarantines for other individuals.” 

Those who receive a red X/stay home message after submitting their screening are advised not to come to campus, and to call CSUB Case Management at (661)654-3453.  

Face covering guidelines have also been updated for the spring 2022 semester. 

“Students, contractors, vendors, and guests shall have and wear an acceptable face covering when indoors. Face coverings are required outdoors when 6 feet of social distancing cannot be accomplished,” said Tim Ridley, director of safety, risk, and sustainability, in a Jan. 26 memorandum. 

All masks must cover the nose and mouth openings. It is recommended to upgrade to a surgical, KN95, or N95 mask. Cloth masks must fit snuggly and have at least 3 layers. 

Extra masks will also be available on campus for students to obtain prior to attending their classes. Alternative face coverings, including face shields, must be approved in advance by Environmental Health & Safety coordination with the Student Health Center and Risk Management staff.  

According to Zelezny, starting Feb. 11, 60% of instruction will be face-to-face or hybrid, while the other 40% will continue online.  

“If we were to have a positive case, the first thing we do is, we ask that people report it as soon as they are made aware,” said Delamar. “If it occurred in a class, we’re going to get the class roster and determine who we need to reach out to, who might need to quarantine, and who’s going to be cleared for campus.”