UArizona plans on more students in class

Improved COVID stats may allow more in-person classes

PRESIDENT SAYS IT COULDHAPPEN.THANKS FOR JOINING US.

I'M PATPARRIS.

AND I'M VALERIECAVAZOS.WE START WITH THIS U-OF-AANNOUNCEMENT.

MORE STUDENTSCOULD SOON BE ON CAMPUS -- FORIN- PERSON CLASSES.

AS 9 ONYOUR SIDE'S CRAIG SMITHREPORTS -- THE UNIVERSITYPRESIDENT SAYS HE'S PLANNINGON MAKING THAT MOVE BECAUSECOVID STATS ARE IMPROVING.UP TO NOW IN- PERSON CLASSESWERE ONLY THE ONES WHERE IT'SJUST TOO HARD TO LEARN WITHOUTA LOT OF HANDS ON INSTRUCTION.BUT NOW UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTDOCTOR ROBERT ROBBINS SAYSCOVID CASES ARE DROPPING TOTHE POINT WHERE HE ISTENTATIVELY PLANNING TO EXPANDIN PERSON CLASSES AS OFFEBRUARY 22ND.

CLASSES WOULDSTILL HAVE NO MORE THAN FIFTYSTUDENTS AND WOULD HAVE STRICTREQUIREMENTS FOR MASKS ANDSOCIAL DISTANCING.

MOVING FROMWHAT THE UNIVERSITY CALLSPHASE ONE, TO PHASE TWO WOULDRAISE THE NUMBER OF STUDENTSIN FACE TO FACE CLASSES FROMABOUT 38 HUNDRED TO ROUGHLY 13THOUSAND.

48:40 SO WE'REPRETTY CONFIDENT THAT WE CANMOVE FORWARD SLOWLY, WATCH THENUMBERS, MAKE SURE IN THECLASSROOM, THAT WE KEEP ALLTHESE MITIGATION EFFORTS INPLACE." 48:50 RUNS:10 DOCTORROBBINS SEES NUMBERS THAT SAYNO ONE SHOULD DROP THEIR GUARDBUT HE'S ENCOURAGED THATARIZONA'S COVID CASES HAVECOOLED DOWN FROM A NATIONALHOT SPOT TO TENTH IN THENATION.

TESTS POSITIVE FORCOVID ARE DROPPING TO THEPOINT WHERE HE WILL REQUIRESTUDENTS ON CAMPUS TO GETTESTED ONCE A WEEK INSTEAD OFTHE TWO PER WEEK SCHEDULE THATHAD BEEN REQUIRED.

THEUNIVERSITY NEWS CONFERENCEALSO FEATURED A VACCINE EXPERTWHO TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THENEW VIRUS STRAINS AND WHETHERCURRENT VACCINES WILL PROTECTAGAINST THEM.

DOCTOR DEEPTABHATTACHARYA SAYS VACCINES DOSEEM TO BE EFFECTIVE AGAINSTTHE BEST KNOWN VARIANT, FIRSTIDENTIFIED IN THE UK ANDVACCINES SHOULD BE ABLE TOKEEP THE OTHER STRAINS FROMGIVING YOU A DANGEROUS CASE OFCOVID.

52:24 "THESE VACCINESARE STILL WORKING EXTREMELYWELL FOR KEEPING YOU OUT OFTHE HOSPITAL AND I THINKTHAT'S ONE POINT THAT WEREALLY WANT TO EMPHASIZE HEREWE MAYBE GET A LITTLE TOO HUNGUP ON THESE.

THESE PERCENTEFFICACIES, ESPECIALLY IFWE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOMEPRETTY MILD SYMPTOMS. 52:37RUNS:13 HE SAYS WITH VACCINESAND VIRUS MUTATIONS OVER TIME,COVID COULD EVENTUALLY BECOMELIKE MANY OTHER VIRUSES&.MOREOF A NUISANCE THAN A KILLER.CRAIG SMITH, KGUN9 ON YOURSI