Undergraduate students at Duke University will be forced to quarantine after an outbreak of coronavirus cases that the school believes is related to contracting parties.
duc he said in a statement that the action was to control the growing number of COVID-19 cases among college students, which he said was “primarily driven by students attending recruitment parties for selective life groups.”
The school said more than 180 students are isolated after testing positive for COVID-19 and 200 more are in quarantine as a result of contract monitoring.
“This is by far the largest number of one-week positive tests and quarantines since the pandemic began,” the school said.
According to the order, all face-to-face courses will only be transferred to the network and students may not participate in laboratory activities.
Students living on campus must remain in their residence or apartment, except for activities related to food, health, or safety. Those living off-campus are not allowed on campus except to do surveillance tests, seek medical attention, and obtain food.
The order went into effect at midnight on March 13 and will remain in effect until 9 a.m. on March 21. The university warned that “flagrant and repeated violations” could lead to the suspension or withdrawal of the institution.
The school will continue to monitor the situation and share updates on March 18th.
duc currently has 6,542 undergraduate students are enrolled.