As students leave campus, 52 remain in isolation

The latest report from Pitt’s COVID-19 Medical Response Office, issued on Nov. 24, showed 34 more students on the Oakland campus had tested positive since last week and 52 remain in isolation. Four more Pitt employees also tested positive.

Students started leaving campus last week; residence halls will close at 5 p.m. Nov. 25. Students won’t return to any of Pitt’s campuses until January. Classes resume on Jan. 19. No plan has been announced yet on how the reopening process will work, although John Williams, head of the medical response office, has said a staged return like the one used in August is likely.

Students who are currently in isolation may choose to stay on campus, the University said last week. Pitt will continue to support students in isolation or quarantine housing as needed. Compass Group is planning to provide a Thanksgiving meal delivery to these students, including smoked turkey, sides and a dessert. 

“Our heart goes out for students in isolation or quarantine. Our compassion is found in our food and with a handwritten card signed by the Pitt Eats team. We wish our students a swift recovery and hope this small gesture demonstrates how much our team cares about our students,” Quintin Eason, Compass Group, VP of Operations at Pitt, said in a statement.

The next update from the COVID-19 Medical Response Office will be on Dec 4. After that, the twice weekly updates to the COVID-19 dashboard will continue on Tuesdays and Fridays through Dec. 18. There will be no updates over the winter break, but they will resume on Jan. 5.

Since Aug. 1, when students began returning to Pitt's campuses for the fall semester, there have been 621 student cases of the coronavirus reported on the Oakland campus and 46 employees. On the regional campuses, 104 students have tested positive — 65 at Johnstown, 28 at Bradford and 11 at Greensburg — and 15 faculty or staff members. Pittsburgh, Johnstown and Bradford remain at the Elevated Risk posture, while Greensburg and Titusville are at Guarded Risk.

— Susan Jones

 

Have a story idea or news to share? Share it with the University Times.

Follow the University Times on Twitter and Facebook.