December 17th, 2021 by WCBC Radio

WBAL reports the University of Maryland is canceling all winter commencement activities and implementing other safety precautions amid a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases on the College Park campus.

The main winter commencement ceremony on Dec. 20 and all college, school and department ceremonies on Dec. 21 and 22 are canceled. All winter graduates will be invited to the spring ceremony in May, the university said.

University President Darryll Pines sent a letter to the campus community saying the actions are intended to help curb potential further spread of the virus.

On Thursday, the university's COVID-19 dashboard showed 98 positive cases from university testing plus an additional 12 self-reported cases from tests taken since Monday.

"We expect to see another high number of cases from today's testing. These are the highest case counts we've seen this fall semester," Pines wrote.

• All indoor social gatherings where mask-wearing cannot be strictly enforced should be canceled through Dec. 22.
• On-campus services including dining and recreation will modify operations.
• Residence Life students must depart campus 24 hours after their final on-campus exam.
• Final exams will continue as scheduled, but all students and faculty must wear KN-95 masks for all in-person finals. KN-95 masks can be obtained at the Stamp Student Union Information Desk. Anyone who is experiencing symptoms should not attend any in-person exams and should work with their instructor to make alternative arrangements