In-person learning has been suspended at the University of Notre Dame after a slew of new coronavirus cases were reported at the school.
According to University President Rev. John Jenkins, in-person instruction is suspended for the next two weeks because of increasing positivity rates at the school.
“With the advice and encouragement of Dr. Mark Fox of the St. Joseph County Health Department, we believe we can take steps short of sending students home for remote instruction, at least for the time being, while still protecting the health and safety of the campus community,” Jenkins said during a virtual meeting with students Tuesday.
According to a press release from the school, many of the new cases involve seniors living off-campus. As of noon Tuesday, 147 individuals have tested positive since Aug. 3, with all but one of the positive tests coming from students.
“Our contact-tracing analysis indicates that most infections are coming from off-campus gatherings,” Jenkins said.
School officials say that most of these gatherings involved students, who were not wearing masks or adhering to social distancing guidelines.
According to new guidance from the school, students who are currently off-campus are being asked to stay off-campus, and on-campus students are being asked to stay on campus grounds. Gatherings are restricted to 10 or fewer people, while all research labs, core facilities and libraries will remain open to graduate students, faculty and staff only.
