No move to remote learning, as Penn State adds 226 cases of COVID-19 since last update
Penn State did not deviate Friday from its plan to continue in-person instruction despite announcing another 226 cases of the new coronavirus at the university’s flagship campus.
All new cases reported by the university were among students. There have been 973 cases reported in the past two weeks at University Park, and 1,372 total cases among students and employees.
The university reported 656 student cases are no longer active.
“We can maintain on-campus learning and working at this point, but we all have to continue to act safely and responsibly by masking, social distancing and limiting socializing to roommates or a small group of friends who are following the same critical guidance,” university President Eric Barron said in a written statement.
About 2,162 on-demand tests were administered to students from Sept. 11 to Thursday, which resulted in 306 positive cases from tests with results. About 2,822 random tests were administered to students during the same period, which resulted in 14 positive cases from tests with results.
Results are pending for 424 on-demand tests since Aug. 28 and 471 total random tests since Aug. 14, according to the university’s COVID-19 dashboard.
No new positive cases among employees were reported Friday, leaving the tally at one. About 539 tests have been administered among employees, including 247 from Sept. 11 to Thursday. There are 77 results pending.
There are 41 students in on-campus quarantine, while another 144 students are in on-campus isolation. The university has about 400 quarantine and isolation spaces available, with the ability to add about 70 more spaces if necessary.
The university outlined Friday for the first time specific steps it may take to further mitigate the potential spread of COVID-19, if necessary. They include:
- Suspending use of specific buildings and spaces
- Quarantining a program or cohort
- Suspending or curtailing some in-person programs
- Quarantine residents of a specific hall
- Pause in-person classes for two weeks
- Pause programs at a specific campus
- Moving all programs and classes online for an affected campus
Centre County has the highest incidence rate in the state by far, but the surge in cases has not inundated Mount Nittany Medical Center.
One person is being treated for COVID-19 at the hospital as of Friday, hospital spokesperson Anissa Ilie said. The hospital hasn’t treated more than three COVID-19 patients at once in September.
But that hasn’t calmed some faculty members’ concerns.
“These numbers continue to be alarming, and while we’re glad to see a slight dip, our science people are highly skeptical of the low number of asymptomatic cases relative to the many symptomatic cases,” said Sarah Townsend, an associate professor at Penn State and an organizer of the faculty-based group Coalition for a Just University. “We’re also concerned that this seeming decrease coincides with the transition to on-campus testing of asymptomatics at a lab that is not subject to any independent oversight or quality control.”
The county’s incidence rate increased to about 322 cases per 100,000 since Sept. 11, when the county’s incidence rate was about 255 cases per 100,000, according to the state’s early warning dashboard.
The most recent incidence rate is more than three times higher than the second-highest incidence rate in the state. York County reported about 85.2 cases per 100,000.
Centre County also has the highest testing positivity rate in the state since Sept. 11 at 12.1%. Indiana County is second at 11.6%.
About 81% of Centre County’s 1,572 confirmed cases have been reported in State College area ZIP codes.
“It’s concerning, it’s real and it’s here. The numbers continue to grow,” State College spokesperson Douglas Shontz said. “... These numbers are really emphasizing the importance of the self-responsibility of our residents and of our students to protect the community. It’s bad now and it could possibly get worse if we don’t take it seriously.”
This story was originally published September 18, 2020 at 2:14 PM.