Administrators at Duke University have ordered that all undergraduate students stay in their place for one week to contain a growing coronavirus outbreak associated with ‘selective life group recruitment parties’, according to a campus-wide communication.
“Over the past week, more than 180 students have been in isolation for a positive COVID 19 test, and another 200 students are in quarantine due to contact detection,” Durham, North Carolina, school administrators wrote. “This is by far the largest number of positive tests and quarantines of one week since the start of the pandemic.”
The order to stay in place, issued on Saturday, is valid until the morning of Sunday 21 March. It came just days after Duke withdrew his men’s basketball team from the Atlantic Coast Conference basketball tournament due to a positive Covid-19 test.
“This action is necessary to contain the rapidly increasing number of COVID cases among Duke undergraduate students, driven primarily by students attending recruitment parties for selective life groups,” the announcement reads.
“If it feels serious, it’s because it’s so. This place to stay is highly recommended by our medical experts.”
All coursework, including laboratory work, will be remote with ‘MANY exceptions’, and students are expected to stay in their residence at all times’ except for essential activities related to food, health or safety, including supervision testing.
Students on campus are only allowed to socialize outside and in groups of three, and group activities are not even allowed with masks. Dining room is takeaway only.
Common spaces will be closed, students who are not on campus may not come on campus and are encouraged to stay home. Students returning from their trip must take negative tests.
