Some students who came to campus for the fall semester are preparing to go home for Thanksgiving break amid the pandemic and plan to take a range of precautions before returning.

Susan Hochman, associate director for assessment, communications and health information technology for University Health Services, said in an email students should take precautionary measures before leaving campus, such as limiting interactions two weeks prior to going home and being tested through the Proactive Community Testing program.

“If a student has not been able to limit their interactions prior to going home and still chooses to go, they should consider wearing a mask and physically distancing, even in their house or the place they are staying for the duration of the stay or for 14 days if they will be staying until January,” Hochman said.

Business freshman Alexa Baker said she will get a COVID-19 test from the PCT program before returning home for the safety of herself and others.

“I am going to get a proactive test so I can make sure I’m negative before I go home to see my family,” Baker said. “A lot of people, if they caught (COVID-19), won’t have antibodies anymore, so the case numbers are probably going to rise.”

In addition to testing, undeclared freshman Jocelyne Covarrubias said she decided to quarantine with her roommate before going home and talk with her family about her plans.

“As soon as I get the go-ahead for the negative test, I (will) try to isolate myself in my room as much as I can and communicate that with my roommate so we both are cautious,” Covarrubias said. “My biggest worry is that my oldest brother is kind of careless when it comes down to the pandemic, so I just made a note to my family that I don’t want to see him unless he has gotten tested, and my family is totally on board with that.”

Beyond wearing masks, limiting travel, washing hands frequently and maintaining adequate social distancing, PCT program director Michael Godwin said in an email that staying aware of one’s surroundings is vital.

“Educate yourself about the conditions back home before you travel,” Godwin said. “Whether or not you’re traveling to an area with a high or growing positivity rate, be cognizant of your own health and that of your family and friends.”

Some students, like Covarrubias, will not return to campus until the spring term as a result of a decision  in May to remove in-person class meetings between Thanksgiving and winter break. The decision poses concerns for some about what actions to take before returning back to school.

“I did think for a while about whether I wanted to try to break my housing contract and not come back for spring because it's one of my biggest worries that I take care of myself,” Covarrubias said. “There should somehow be a way for (UT) to … suggest that everybody quarantine (and) present a negative COVID test a couple days before we come on campus, and once we’re here, make it mandatory for people to continue getting tested every two weeks.”