Princeton U. Asks Some Staff To Work Remotely As COVID Cases Rise

PRINCETON, NJ — Days before students begin to return to campus on Jan. 14, Princeton University has asked some of its staff members to work remotely, to reduce the strain on the University’s COVID-19 testing program.

In a recent memo, Provost Deborah Prentice and Executive Vice President Treby Williams requested staff who can work from home to do so between Jan. 4 to Jan. 31.

The University said it was committed to its plans for an in-person semester, but the rise in positive COVID-19 cases among campus members due to the omicron variant has increased the demand on testing labs and contact tracers.

“To reduce the strain on the asymptomatic testing program as students return to campus for the beginning of the term, we are requesting that staff who can conduct their work remotely begin doing so, and remove themselves from the campus asymptomatic testing program, by January 10 and continue through January 31,” the University said.

“We do not aim to de-densify campus as a means of reducing exposure risk, as we believe that the use of masks and other mitigations we have in place accomplish that goal. But we would like to identify at least 2,000 staff members to work remotely in January.”

Staff who work from home do not have to participate in the asymptomatic testing program.

Prentice and Williams also noted that while there were no clusters among staff in the office or lab settings in the fall, they do “anticipate a rise in cases as faculty, staff, and students return from Winter Break.”

On Jan. 4, the University reported 181 COVID-19 positive cases, of which 128 were staff and faculty members. The current campus positivity rate is a little over 5 percent, according to Princeton’s COVID-19 dashboard. The campus risk status has also been moved to “high.”

The rise in coronavirus cases comes after the University implemented various COVID-19 policy changes, including mandating booster shots, delaying student return to campus, and prohibiting them from leaving Mercer County and Plainsboro township.

Read Related:

Facing COVID Spike, Princeton University Mandates Booster Shots

Princeton Delaying, Staggering Students' Return After Break

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