Students move into UH-Manoa dorms for a very different school year
HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - Students started to moving into the University of Hawaii at Manoa dorms on Monday, and things were definitely not business as usual.
Before moving into student housing, all residents — and those who are helping them — are required to go through a basic COVID-19 daily screening.
It’s part of the “college bubble” program, but those traveling like incoming freshman Eleni Kousoulis who flew in from California on Monday said the process was easy.
“They definitely helped us with everything, I didn’t have to worry about anything,” said Kousoulis.
“I didn’t have to worry about not knowing where I was going, there was people right at baggage claim to help me.”
Although schools around the U.S. are scrambling to deal with rising cases as fall semester starts, students and parents are confident in the safety precautions UH has implemented.
“And we feel that it’s pretty safe to have to go through the quarantine, even the kids that are doing the bubble,” said Patty Sakuma who helped her daughter, an incoming freshman move into the dorms. “So they have to test negative before moving in so we feel pretty safe for her.”
“As long as everyone who’s supposed to stay in the bubble, stays together and stays bubbled and doesn’t mix with outside people I think it’s a really good idea,” said Kousoulis. “We can still get to know people, still get a normalized college experience than most people.”
The University plans to hand out 25,000 COVID-19 care kits which include hand sanitizers, face masks, a thermometer and disinfectant wipes for students and employees.
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