Eight chapters on Greek Row were placed in quarantine last week due to a COVID-19 outbreak on campus, according to an email from University of Idaho President C. Scott Green. UI’s positive COVID-19 test rate grew to 11.94% positive this week, but tests were targeted towards individuals in known hot spots, the email stated. The new total positive rate is 1.81%.
UI’s surveillance testing for COVID-19 has focused on Greek Row for the past two weeks due to increased evidence of COVID-19 in wastewater and post Labor Day testing confirming positive cases. Some chapters opted to self quarantine out of caution while others were instructed to quarantine by Public Health – Idaho North Central District. For now, it appears the outbreak is isolated to Greek Row, but surveillance testing will continue outside the Greek system to verify this, according to the email.
“While many (understandably) try to compare our results to infection rate metrics at other universities, these are not comparable because some of those universities only test close contacts or symptomatic students and employees and some only compare positives to their total population versus actual number of tests performed,” the email stated. “In order to continue to address hot spots while getting valid infection rate metrics, we need to significantly increase the diversity of samples taken each week through broader participation.”
Public Health has not identified classroom transmission through contract tracing, but faculty preferring to teach online this week due to increased concerns may do so without further approvals. In-person instruction may be required once again beginning Oct. 5.
“If data collected through Friday, Oct. 2 drives us to online-only instruction, the recommendation is that it be for two weeks,” the email stated. “We will update you on our findings on Friday.”
UI will not transition fully online in response but may combine a temporary switch to online instruction with adherence to the Healthy Vandal Pledge to bring hot spots under control. Changes in instruction will be based on government restrictions, PH-INCD recommendations, Gritman Medical Center advice, UI’s isolation capacity, positive case numbers in Latah County and in the UI community and infection modeling advice.
There are 72 individuals currently in isolation, according to the email. The university has planned to accommodate over 170 beds. There are 67 currently infectious cases in the UI community, according to the UI COVID 19 website. In addition, there are 58 new COVID-19 cases in Latah County today for a total of 453 confirmed cases and 15 probable cases in the county, according to the PH-INCD website, the third update in a row the record for highest daily case counts has been broken.
“We have eight more weeks until Thanksgiving break and have much work to do if we are going to be able to continue live instruction,” the email stated. “We need to be even more vigilant about adhering to the Healthy Vandal Pledge. Socializing indoors, in large groups, without masks, must be avoided. Continued spread of COVID-19 will cause changes to our delivery methods and ability to remain in person.”
This article has been updated to correct formatting errors.
Lex Miller can be reached at [email protected]