DOVER — Delaware State University is delaying students’ return to campus by two weeks due to the rapid spread of the omicron variant. Classes will still begin as planned on Jan. 10, but will be held virtually during the delay period. All students will also be required to receive a COVID-19 booster shot before coming back to campus.

A virtual university forum will be held at 11 a.m. Dec. 28 to answer questions that students, faculty and staff may have.

“The booster is our best chance to defend against widespread infection on campus, protecting you and the people around you,” said DSU President Tony Allen in a letter to the university community. “While COVID-19 continues to disrupt our normal business, the University’s nimble, science-based approach has served us well since the pandemic’s earliest days, keeping case counts low by using the best tools at our disposal, including required vaccination, mask wearing, regular testing, and contact-tracing protocols.”

The university’s decision was made with guidance from resident health experts and partners from Testing for America. Dr. Neil Hockstein, physician and advisor to Testing for America, which designed the university’s original COVID response plan, voiced his support for DSU’s safety measures and said their response thus far has kept their COVID positive rate far below state and national averages.

“The omicron variant represents a new challenge because it is so highly contagious,” Dr. Hockstein said in a statement. “But by mandating vaccine booster shots and briefly delaying the start of face-to-face classes, University leaders are giving their community the best chance for students to continue working toward their degrees in relative safety.”

Dr. Michelle Fisher, associate vice president of Campus Health, noted that the booster does not provide maximum effectiveness until two weeks after it is administered.

“With the widespread availability of booster shots, the University is emphasizing to all students that they should get a booster shot as soon as possible,” she said in a release. “The University wants its students as fully protected as possible before they arrive on campus at the beginning of the semester.”