Notre Dame Suspends In-Person Classes Amid COVID Concerns; Other Indiana Colleges Returning Soon
The University of Notre Dame says it will move undergraduate classes online for the next two weeks and close public spaces on campus. That announcement follows a spike in COVID-19 cases on the South Bend campus – 80 new cases were reported this week, raising the total number of infected students to 147.
Notre Dame says it tested nearly 12,000 students before classes began, and recorded a 0.3 percent positivity rate. Just more than a week since, that positivity rate increased to 19.1 percent. The university says most cases can be traced back to off-campus parties.
Notre Dame President Reverend John Jenkins says disciplinary action will not be taken on any student parties that have been reported through contact tracing.
“If however, we learn of a serious violation of our policies from other sources, we will take disciplinary action,” he said.
The university says, until further notice, off-campus students should not visit campus. After September 2, officials will make the decision whether to return to in-person instruction or send students back home.
What About Other Indiana Schools?
Several other Indiana colleges will begin in-person classes on August 24.
Purdue University and Indiana University is requiring mandatory COVID testing before students begin in-person classes. Purdue says as of this week, it’s tested more than 25,000 students with a 0.74 percent positivity rate.
As for Ball State University, students are not being tested by requirement, even if they live in on-campus housing. Instead, the university is asking they self-certify they have had a recent negative test or have quarantined at home before moving in.
Read More: Ball State Tries To Reassure Concerned Faculty About On-Campus Return
On Wednesday, state health commissioner Dr. Kris Box says students in Hoosier colleges may have to change their social life to fight the spread of the virus. She says there are risks and benefits to off-campus activities that students are going to have to weigh.
What About The Rest Of The Country?
Tuesday, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill moved to online learning because of clusters of COVID-19 showing up on campus.
Michigan State University, in a Tweet sent out late Tuesday afternoon, said, “Effective immediately, we are asking undergraduate students who planned to live in our residence halls this fall to stay home and continue their education with MSU remotely.” Michigan State’s president, Samuel L. Stanley, is also a medical doctor. Classes are set to begin at MSU on September 2.
