Coronavirus: UD reports 59 new cases within 24 hours, hopes new measures curbs cases

DAYTON — UPDATE @ 5:30 p.m. Aug. 25:

The University of Dayton continues to test students after 59 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours.

In an email to News Center 7, the university predicted that while cases increase and contact tracing reveals more cases, they hope that the additional measures over the past three days will make a long-term difference.

“Our determination of the Campus Status level is based on several factors, not just the number of cases,” said a spokesperson for the university. “Including the extent and network of clusters, contact tracing, quarantine/isolation capacity, and campus and/or local community spread.”

The university is planning to continue tracking cases and gathering data before making a decision on extending remote learning.

UD is also increasing testing options for students and implemented stricter face covering and social distancing measures.

UPDATE @ 3:50 p.m. Aug. 25:

The University of Dayton has reported 59 new cases on its campus within the last 24 hours, bringing the total amount of active cases to 155, according to university data.

UD remains in “yellow caution” status and has switched to remote learning for the first week of the fall semester.

UPDATED @ 10:50 p.m. Aug. 24 The University of Dayton’s move to “yellow caution” status because of positive coronavirus cases on campus triggered a switch to make all undergraduate classes remote for the first week of the fall semester.

And a problem with Zoom video conferencing across the globe threatened to scuttle classes early Monday.

“I think it was just frustrating that you know it wasn’t working,” Andrew Moyer, a junior, told News Center 7′s Ronnell Hunt on Monday night.

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“Based upon testing and contact tracing that has been conducted over the past three days, we are moving all undergraduate courses to remote, online learning for the first week of Fall Term,” UD President Eric Spina said in an email to students Sunday night.

Five new cases since a university update Monday pushed the current active cases on campus to 100. Sunday, there were 68 active cases on campus with 33 new cases reported since Saturday.

Undergraduate commuter students have been directed to remain off campus and student employees are not to report to work in person unless they “perform critical functions.”

“I know well that this shift will create additional strains on course planning, but it is important to contain further outbreaks and reduce campus risk. Thank you for your conscientious adherence to this decision and for the efforts that I know you will make to engage and support your students energetically during the first week of the semester,” the email continued.

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Spina said the most recent cluster of cases appear to be interconnected and the move to take all undergraduate classes online for a week was done to prevent the spread of the virus from threatening the entire semester.

Professor Joe Valenzano, who heads the department of communication, and a group of faculty walked the campus last weekend and did see more students wearing masks.

“We encountered tons of students who kind of got the message and started wearing masks,” he said.

Students seemed to get the heightened message from Spina and faculty.

“When I first got here I know there were like a couple parties here and there,” said Sarah Harvey, a junior. “For the majority, everyone has been wearing masks. It seems like they’re kind of following the rules a little bit better.”

Cox Media Group