Residence halls‌ ‌prepare‌ ‌for‌ ‌COVID-19‌ ‌

By Jorge‌ ‌Padilla‌
Bridge contributing writer
Published Monday, April 13, 2020

 ‌As the coronavirus spread at an exponential rate in March, the administration began taking precautionary measures to make sure campus residential students could self-isolate. The school asked students and faculty to self-isolate for 14 days before returning to campus, if traveling from other countries.

The Texas A&M International University residence halls received new hand-sanitizer dispensers on each floor to disinfect and help prevent the virus’ spread. Other upgrades‌ ‌occurred over the‌ ‌past‌ ‌three‌ ‌years.

As of March 30, faculty and staff converted the rest of the semester courses to online virtual environments to aid in social distancing. According to a TAMIU email sent to students and faculty, “Spectrum has created a program for students that will provide free Spectrum Broadband and WIFI Access for 60 days for those who do not already have internet access.”

The‌ ‌COVID-19‌ ‌pandemic resulted in caution from ‌the‌ ‌A&M‌ ‌system‌ as it implemented procedures, in accordance with the City of Laredo Health Department. One of those procedures includes the requirement of a facial mask in order to enter any University buildings; it also included the closing of the campus to those without necessary business. Some campus buildings are closed to students but the main ones, such as the Killam Library and the Student Center, are still open during modified working hours.

University‌ ‌Village resident Daniella Buentello ‌said ‌residence hall assistants‌ ‌made efforts so things could run as smoothly ‌as possible‌ ‌this‌ ‌semester.

“They‌ ‌have‌ ‌really‌ ‌been‌ ‌taking‌ ‌initiative‌ ‌to‌ ‌help‌ ‌us‌ ‌out‌ ‌in‌ anything‌ ‌we‌ ‌might‌ ‌need,” Buentello said. “‌‌They‌ ‌have‌ ‌done‌ ‌so‌ ‌well‌ ‌to‌ ‌keep‌ ‌us‌ ‌up‌ ‌to‌ ‌date‌ ‌with‌ ‌what‌ ‌the‌ ‌campus‌ ‌is‌ saying‌ ‌about‌ ‌the‌ ‌coronavirus‌ ‌and‌ ‌helping‌ ‌everyone‌ ‌stay‌ ‌cautious‌ ‌and‌ ‌clean.”