Local colleges are planning for vairous scenarios after Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading infectious diseases expert, this week painted a bleak picture for the fall semester.
Fauci, of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Tuesday made the waters murkier for colleges, warning in congressional testimony that there likely won't be a vaccine ready in time for the fall semester.
Northeastern University officials told the Boston Globe they had already taken Fauci's warnings into account. The University has told students that they plan to reopen campuses in the fall while implementing new safety protocols.
Harvard University announced via Twitter late last month that they will open with the goal of being on campus this autumn but will issue more guidance in the coming weeks.
The University of Massachusetts President Marty Meehan told the Globe that they haven't yet made a decision on plans for the fall semester, but that when they do, it will be guided by science.
The California State University system has already announced that a majority of their classes will be online in the fall.
Meanwhile, Massachusetts is preparing to begin the reopening process as early as May 18, when the state's stay-at-home advisory is set to expire, but Gov. Charlie Baker has yet lay out the specific details of his four-phased reopening plan.