Earlier this morning, Columbia Dining announced that indoor seating options for the CU dining halls will resume this Monday.

Earlier this morning, Columbia Dining announced on its website that the dining halls—John Jay, Ferris Booth Commons, and Faculty House—will begin to offer indoor seating options for students beginning this Monday, January 24. The indoor dining service, however, continues to restrict the use of guest swipes. Students will also be unable to use Dining Dollars, Flex, or credit cards, but may use guest swipes for themselves for extra to-go containers or if they run out of regular meal swipes. CU Dining will continue to provide reusable to-go containers free of charge next week. The full announcement can be found below. 

Plans for reopening indoor dining on the 24 were announced on the CU Dining Team’s website weeks before today’s announcement. Furthermore, CU Dining stated that its decision to reopen the indoor seating areas remains in compliance with New York health codes. They cited Key to NYC, which has been recently updated to state that anyone 12 and over with proof of vaccination may be able to enter and eat in indoor dining spaces.

However, the reopening date comes at a time when COVID-19 cases in the community are relatively high. According to Bwog’s latest Weekly COVID-19 Round-Up, Columbia is currently in the “yellow” alert zone, meaning that they are at low risk, with a 5.6% positivity rate among the undergraduate student population that has taken tests so far. The “yellow” alert zone encompasses a wide range of positivity rates, as Columbia spent most of the past semester in the yellow zone, but with significantly lower positivity rates than the current one. As more students are returning and still need to take their gateway tests, the positivity rate may change. 

Moreover, the date to reopen indoor dining spaces falls before the two-week online learning period ends. Students and faculty are still expected to attend class online until January 31. Furthermore, all indoor gatherings for extracurricular activities, regardless of group size, are still prohibited until February. 

Bwog has reached out to Columbia Communications for further comment; this article will be updated as soon as we receive more relevant information. 

Announcement made on the CU Dining Website on Monday, January 24: 

Indoor Seating Opens for Residential Dining on Monday 1/24

Indoor seating will reopen in the residential dining halls on Monday, January 24. This includes John Jay, JJ’s Place, Ferris Booth Commons, and Faculty House.

January 21, 2022

Indoor dining service will continue to be for Dining plan holders by meal swipe only, in accordance with the Key to NYC. No guest swipes, Dining Dollars, Flex, or credit cards will be accepted. While you can’t use guest swipes for another person – remember you can use them for yourself for additional to-go containers – or if you run out of weekly swipes. 

Students who did not previously pick-up eco-containers can still do so next week at no charge.

Remember to check out newly opened Chef Mike’s Sub Shop at Uris Deli. In addition to swipes, Dining Dollars, Flex, Guest Swipes, and credit cards are accepted at this grab-and-go location.

indoor seating via Bwarchives