With the deadline for submitting requests for exemptions from Bowling Green State University’s vaccination mandate for spring semester now passed, 80 percent of requests have already been approved.
As of Monday’s deadline, 2,207 exemptions have been requested, and 1,769 have been approved. The university is still seeking more information for exemptions that have been submitted.
Chief Health Officer Ben Batey told Clint Corpe of “The Morning Show” on WBGU radio this morning (Nov. 4) that about half the requests cited religious reasons. Figures provided later by BGSU show another 40 percent sought personal conscience exemptions, and 10 percent religious exemptions.
“We really wanted to meet them where they’re at,” Batey said.
The number of exemptions requests is about 10 percent of the total 22,000 students, faculty, and staff.
Now non-exempted students, faculty, and staff have until Nov. 29 to submit their proof of vaccination.
Batey told “The Morning Show” that having the exemptions will provide important data that will be useful in the spring semester in responding to any future outbreaks, and decisions on whom should quarantine after an exposure to the coronavirus. It will give the university a database of unvaccinated individuals for possible future surveillance testing.
The university has stopped surveillance testing of asymptomatic individuals because so few COVID-19 cases were being detected, Batey told the Faculty Senate earlier this week.
He also expressed hope that the pandemic is moving toward becoming endemic, something like flu that persists but is easier to control.
This week’s BGSU COVID-19 dashboard shows the number of cases remaining constant with 18 new cases reported – 16 student and two staff. That’s in line with the number of cases reported in the past four weeks.
Since the beginning of the semester on Aug. 26, BGSU has reported 559 cases – 527 students, 12 faculty, and 20 staff.
Four students who have tested positive for COVID-19 are in isolation on campus; no students are quarantined.
Of all full time students, 68.1 percent have reported being vaccinated. The university has confirmed 54.8 percent of those. Batey said on “The Morning Show” that getting cards and checking them lags behind those reports.
Of residential students, 78.1 percent have reported being vaccinated, and 73.2 percent of faculty and staff have reported being vaccinated.
