Alabama announces campus restrictions after reported 'significant increase' in COVID cases
The University of Alabama has announced new campus guidelines after an increase in COVID-19 cases. The measures announced Friday are headlined by a 14-day moratorium on all in-person events outside of classroom instruction. Crimson Tide beat reporter Cecil Hurt confirmed from an athletic department spokesperson that the moratorium does not apply to football practices.
The guidelines also addressed Greek life, closing all common areas and limiting use of Greek houses to residents, advisors and staff with no gatherings allowed in Greek houses on-campus or off-campus.
An AL.com report offered insight into the campus COVID situation in Tuscaloosa. UA’s vice president for Student Life Myron Pope said “we have seen a significant increase in the number of students who tested positive” in the past week.
UA has set aside 450 dorm beds to isolate those who have tested positive. Pope warned those beds could be full in under two weeks without precautionary measures.
“We are not at capacity right now but if we increase at the rate we did this week, give us a week and a half we’ll be at full capacity,” Pope told UA student leaders, per audio obtained by AL.com.
Bell shared numbers on an increase in positive tests.
“Just in the last few days as we’ve tested at Coleman Coliseum and the Student Health Center, we’ve seen the numbers jump up from 1 percent to 4 percent to 5 percent,” Pope said in the meeting. “And in one particular case, I think it was Coleman Coliseum (Thursday), actually it might be the Student Health Center, we saw 29 percent of the students who tested were positive.”
Alabama began on-campus classes on Wednesday.
Revised UA guidelines for campus residents. pic.twitter.com/1NrLtzsMM4
— Cecil Hurt (@CecilHurt) August 21, 2020
To answer a frequently asked question:
The University of Alabama 14-day moratorium on student events does not apply to athletic practices, per a UA spokesperson.
— Cecil Hurt (@CecilHurt) August 21, 2020
Suddenly 29%. Sounds to me like you got a bunch of false positives. What is the process after a positive test? Do they get tested again? How many times do they have to test negative before they get Unquarentined? Are any of the people symptomatic? If so how many? How many are hospitalized with severe symptoms? Jesus Christ somebody do their job and ask these questions.
Wonder who won the covid bet?
Who can forget this dilly of a story?
Students in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 have been attending parties in the city and surrounding area as part of what is being described as a disturbing contest to see who can catch the virus first, a city council member told ABC News on Wednesday.
Tuscaloosa City Councilor Sonya McKinstry said students have been organizing “COVID parties” as a game to intentionally infect each other with the contagion that has killed more than 127,000 people in the United States. She said she recently learned of the behavior and informed the city council of the parties occurring in the city.
She said the organizers of the parties are purposely inviting guests who have COVID-19.
“They put money in a pot and they try to get COVID. Whoever gets COVID first gets the pot. It makes no sense,” McKinstry said. “They’re intentionally doing it.”
Tuscaloosa Fire Chief Randy Smith told the City Council on Tuesday that he has confirmed the students’ careless behavior.