Duke University undergraduates to stay in place all week as Covid-19 cases rise

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In a letter sent to students on Saturday, officials at Durham University in North Carolina said more than 180 students have tested positive for Covid-19 and are in isolation, while 200 others are in quarantine on the site. basis of contact tracing.

The surge in cases is “mainly due to students participating in recruiting groups for selective life groups,” the letter said. This is the largest total of a week of positive cases and quarantines since the start of the pandemic, officials said.

All courses will transition to distance learning and students living on campus are required to stay in their room or apartment at all times outside of essential activities, such as food or for health or safety reasons. Off-campus students are not permitted on campus except to participate in surveillance tests, seek medical attention, or pick up food orders.

The Duke outbreak is yet another example of the continuing danger of the pandemic, even as new daily cases of Covid-19 continue to decline and millions of people get vaccinated. The outbreak has even reached the famous men’s basketball team, which withdrew from the CCA tournament on Thursday after a positive case in the program.

“If this sounds serious, that’s because it is,” the letter says. “Restricting student movement – coupled with a renewed commitment to follow social distancing, masking, symptom monitoring and other public health guidelines – gives us the best way to reduce the spread.” Violations of these requirements will be considered a violation of the Duke Compact and will be treated as such; gross and repeated violations will be grounds for suspension or removal from Duke. “

The letter was signed by Associate Vice-President, Student Affairs and Dean of Students John Blackshear, Vice-President, Undergraduate Education Gary Bennett, and Vice-President, Student Affairs Mary Pat McMahon.

The letter says that the ability to complete the semester and have a start for the graduates is “at stake”. Duke officials will provide an update to the order on March 18, he said.

CNN’s Eric Levenson contributed to this report.

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