COVID-19 outbreaks on campus have some Greek chapters on lock-down

An uptick in COVID-19 cases on the University of Idaho’s campus is likely isolated to a few Greek chapters and on-campus apartments, according to a memo from UI President Scott Green. 

The university reported 61 positive results for last week – a sharp increase from just four new case numbers the week before, according to UI’s COVID-19 website. 

“We are seeing an increase in COVID-19 positives after the recent long weekend and subsequent snow closure in Moscow,” Green stated. “We are working quickly to identify and test those who have been in contact with anyone who has tested positive.” 

The outbreaks on campus caused two Greek chapters and one portion of a residence hall to lock down, according to UI Director of Communications Jodi Walker. Students who have tested positive are being quarantined in Targhee Hall. 

Outbreaks in the Greek community last semester caused eight chapters to quarantine, according to reporting from The Argonaut. That number quickly grew to 14 chapters in quarantine, making live-in Greek houses a primary source of spread, and “four times more infected” than other students living on campus. 

“We started to see an increase in the PCR test results, and then did wastewater sampling in those areas,” Walker said. “It corroborates what we’re seeing.” 

The university returned 802 test results last week, with 7% of them being positive. That’s more than double the number of total tests conducted the week prior.

According to UI’s website, results include random surveillance testing and targeted surveillance of known close contacts and others living with people who’ve tested positive. 

“I assume people had some downtime and were hanging out together,” Walker said. “That’s the reason the cases we’re seeing are in pods; they’re in groups of people. It was pretty easy to see where those gatherings had occurred.” 

According to Walker, the affected Greek chapters have been proactive in making sure they don’t have broader spread within their houses. 

“We reach out to them and help them understand what’s going on, and then try to get them in for testing as soon as possible,” Walker said. “They’ve all been very responsive and responsible.” 

With just two weeks until spring break, the university is encouraging testing for anyone wanting peace of mind before heading home. Testing appointments are available on March 9. 

“If you’re traveling, go and make sure you’re negative before you head out,” Walker said. “If you do test positive before you go, and you live on campus, you’re probably going to have a conversation with the Dean of Students Office to walk through those risks.” 

Some students who tested positive for COVID-19 last fall chose to stay in Moscow for Thanksgiving break instead of going home, Walker said. They didn’t want to bring the virus back to their families. 

Updates on the number of COVID-19 cases in the UI community are reported on the university’s COVID-19 website. 

There have been 2,600 confirmed cases and 151 probable cases in Latah County as of March 2, according to Public Health – Idaho North Central District. 

Angela Palermo can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @apalermotweets