The “lay low” period that began as a COVID-19 precautionary mesaure for both Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College ended Friday as originally scheduled.

The “lay low” period was put in place by President Dr. Faith Hensrud two weeks ago to allow more flexibility for students and workers at the schools to utilize online or telework options. At the time, the Bemidji Area School District was forced to close because of lack of workers due to COVID-19. The “lay low” period allowed more options for people who work at or attend BSU or NTC during that time.

Dr. Hensrud said in a statement today that while they are moving out of this precautionary period, “it is imperative that all understand and appreciate that the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be a relevant and significant threat to the health and safety of our campus community.”

Hensrud noted that Sanford Health believes the peak in Beltrami County, as a result of the rapid spread of the omicron variant, is either upon us or expected to happen within the next several days. Following this peak, cases are expected to decrease relatively rapidly.

By — Lakeland News