Omicron pushes most UW classes online first week of January

SEATTLE (AP) — The University of Washington says it will implement remote learning for the first week of the winter quarter in January because of growing concerns about the highly-contagious omicron variant. The Seattle Times reports a Tuesday message from UW President Ana Mari Cauce and Provost and Executive Vice President Mark Richards says a week of primarily online classes will help minimize disruptions caused by the omicron variant and enable more people to receive a vaccination booster. The University of Oregon in Eugene said this week it will require all students, faculty, and staff to receive a COVID-19 booster as soon as they are eligible, and Willamette University will move large classes online to start next semester.