Oct 9, 2020 2 min read

A small cluster of COVID-19 cases has been identified at Waynesburg University.

The students who have tested positive for COVID-19 are quarantining either at their homes or at designated buildings on campus.

Since the start of the fall semester in mid-August, 13 positive COVID-19 cases have been identified on the campus of 1,576 students.

Stacey Brodak, vice president of institutional advancement and university relations, said the most recent cases appear to have occurred among connected groups of students.

The most recent cluster involves eight students. The first occurred at the end of September, with the other seven testing positive in early October. The university has performed contact tracing and notified students who may have been exposed, and are requiring those in close contact to quarantine.

Some students have opted to quarantine at home, Brodak said, and were provided guidance on proper quarantine protocol recommended by the Centers for Disease Control.

“Waynesburg University’s top priority is the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff. Significant time and consideration has been spent on creating our Keep Waynesburg Well Plan, which serves to provide protocols and guidance for our interactions on campus,” said Brodak in an email.

Brodak said the plan also reminds students to be mindful of the greater Waynesburg community, and noted, “This results in a COVID-19 positive rate of .0082.”

The university has designated two buildings for quarantine, the Stone House and the Goodwin House, where on-campus care by health, counseling, student services, and public safety officials is available.

Brodak said statistics on confirmed COVID cases are provided to students, faculty and staff on the student portal to keep the university community updated. The information is updated as soon as new cases are confirmed.

The university has no plans at this time to move exclusively to remote or online learning.

Brodak said masks are required to be worn by all students, faculty, and staff in all classrooms and publicly shared spaces on campus, and social distancing is mandated.

For more information on the strategies and policies in the Keep Waynesburg Well Plan, please visit www.waynesburg.edu/keepwaynesburgwell<http://www.waynesburg.edu/keepwaynesburgwell>.