Anthony’s Ocean View hosted an illegal event that included an unspecified number of Quinnipiac University students last week according to New Haven’s coronavirus task force.
According to reports from News8, roughly 450 to 525 students were in attendance on Thursday, Oct. 29 for a party. Students came from both Quinnipiac and Southern Connecticut State University, located in New Haven.
Lisa O’Connor, dean of the school of nursing, sent an email to all Quinnipiac nursing students Monday night. O’Connor wrote the email to thank those who have been adhering to the COVID-19 protocols put forth by Quinnipiac and to express “my disappointment, my sadness, and my fear” to those who haven’t been as diligent.
“At this point we don’t know how many of you are directly impacted by the ‘party at Anthony’s Ocean View’ decision,” the email said. “We are faced with some very hard discussions now- the university is taking action- but the impact on your status in the major is still to be determined.”
Quinnipiac President Judy Olian and Chief Experience Officer Tom Ellet also co-wrote and sent an email to the wider Quinnipiac community. They detailed what they knew about the event and their reaction to the news.
“We have verified that among the attendees were students from QU, that masks were not worn, social distancing wasn’t practiced, and total attendance exceeded public health guidelines,” Ellet and Olian said in the statement.
In addition to nine new positives at Quinnipiac from Oct. 26 through Nov. 1. The university is investigating the Thursday night event in an attempt to remove potential spreaders from campus.
“Our offices of Public Safety and Student Affairs have been investigating particulars of the event throughout the weekend and already have spoken with numerous student organizations and individuals to ascertain more details,” Ellet and Olian wrote. “As of this afternoon, we have confirmed the identity of approximately 20 QU students who attended the event.”
As the investigation carries on, Ellet and Olian have asked students with any information regarding the identities of those who attended the party to leave a message on a hotline. The information sharing process can be anonymous should the snitch wish to keep their identity a secret.
The event itself broke multiple violations, enforced by both the school’s of those who attended and Connecticut state regulations. Videos from the event show scores of people gathered on a dance floor not abiding by social distancing protocols. The video also shows that none in attendance were wearing masks, another violation of state guidelines.
Quinnipiac’s COVID-19 spike has continued, with 47 students currently in isolation and 36 new cases between Oct. 26 and Nov. 1. In that time frame, the university has had a 1.7% positive-test rate.