More than 500 students residing at the University of Connecticut’s Storrs campus will be required to quarantine starting Wednesday morning after a spike in COVID-19 cases were reported.
After an email was sent out to students from the Associate Vice President and Dean of Students Eleanor JB Daugherty, students in five different dormitories will be required to follow quarantining procedures.
The quarantine mandate will apply to students residing in Belden, Batterson, Tolland, Middlesex and Werth Halls after a spike of 11 on-campus and 23 off-campus positive test results were reported.
According to the Student Health and Wellness website, students who are instructed to quarantine must only use take-out dining from designated dining halls, not attend in-person classes or activities and are required to take a COVID-19 surveillance test.
This increase in cases is being reported as “the highest number of positive cases reported in a single day since testing began at UConn,” according to the email.
“the highest number of positive cases reported in a single day since testing began at UConn.”
Extracted from email
Connecticut’s COVID-19 cases as a whole are also accelerating at an alarming rate, with Nov. 10 holding the highest single-day positivity rate since May 24, according Governor Ned Lamont’s daily coronavirus update.
Students on campus for the fall semester are required to leave their housing assignment by 5 p.m. on Nov. 21. The email notes that if the quarantine period extends beyond that date, students will receive guidance on how to quarantine at home if they choose to do so.
Daugherty ended the email with a warning message to the UConn community on the dangers of a lackadaisical attitude towards the virus.
“UConn is not immune from the risk of [COVID-19] and the dangers it presents to ourselves and those we love,” said Daugherty.
“Recent events at nearby universities remind us that large gatherings and failing to follow universal precautions can have a dramatic consequence on our ability to be a Husky family … It is of critical importance that we stay strong, stay connected and continue to care for the health and safety of others.”
