Coronavirus: University of Dayton starts some in-person classes today

DAYTON — Some University of Dayton courses will resume in-person instruction Wednesday after starting the first three weeks of the semester remotely due to high numbers of COVID-19 cases.

PREVIOUS REPORT: UD to start some in-person courses as on-campus cases decline

Last week, UD announced a decline in cases and a lowering of the campus alert level, paving the way for some in-person courses to start Wednesday.

“We’re pleased that the seven day average of new cases of positivity rate of randomly tested students and the number of active cases on campus have continued to decline,” UD President Dr. Eric Spina told News Center 7 last week.

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“In-person classes have already been very carefully designed to allow for physical distancing, face coverings continue to be required everywhere including classrooms, and students and staff have been trained with safety measures for cleaning and disinfecting.”

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The classes that will resume in-person learning were described as ones that rely on being on-site and most students will have at least one course starting in-person Wednesday. Laboratories, studio classes, and capstone classes were the first courses moving to in-person, Spina said.

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If current trends continue, UD will allow for more for more courses to start in-person instruction next week.

“This does remain a critical time for us at UD. Our students and entire Flyer community cannot let up on our efforts to limit the spread of coronavirus,” Spina said.

“This is a good day, and important day. It shows the positive action can make a difference. We’re going to emphasize with all of our students today for them to keep doing what they’re doing that made this progress.”

The UD campus alert level, which is separate from the state’s county-by-county system, remains at “Level 3 - Caution.” As of Tuesday’s report, the university reported only three new cases and active cases down to 88. Active cases are down nearly 100 since last Thursday.

UD also reports 1,127 presumed recoveries and 1,215 total cases on the campus since Aug. 10.

Previously, a UD spokesperson told News Center 7 the majority of students who previously tested positive only reported mild symptoms. Only a few students required “brief” hospitalizations, the spokesperson said.

Cox Media Group