Ohio State University’s student union reopened Monday, nearly five months after closing near the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Ohio Union closed in mid-March as most of the university and the state shut down to help limit the spread of COVID-19.
Ohio State recreation facilities, like the Recreation and Physical Activity Center, also reopened Monday.
The union will be open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-6 p.m., and Saturday-Sunday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Masks are required in all spaces, and the union has moved some of its furniture to follow physical distancing requirements.
It’s been 10 days since Ohio State rolled out a return-to-campus plan for fall semester that relies heavily on student testing, asking students to self-quarantine upon arrival, and urging social distancing when possible.
The school is also requiring students to sign the so-called Buckeye Pledge that some legal experts have called a liability waiver. It lays out best practices and tells students there’s some risk in returning to campus.
Students returning to campus this fall have to schedule move-in times during an 11-day window, starting Wednesday.
