Quinnipiac University is dealing with an extreme rise in new COVID-19 cases this week compared to prior weeks this semester.
While the investigation into the event remains open, school officials believe that an illegal party hosted by Anthony’s Ocean View in New Haven last Thursday may play a significant role in the recent uptick.
“Although we do not know of all the details surrounding Anthony’s Ocean View as our analysis of cases and contacts is continuing, public health officials have repeatedly said that gatherings big and small certainly could spread COVID,” said David Hill, professor of medical sciences. “If students interact with others in social settings without face coverings and distancing — both on and off campus — there is the chance of acquiring COVID and then bringing it back to our community.”
Videos showed students at Anthony’s Ocean View on a dance floor with no face masks and in close contact with one another.
This most recent spike is drastically more severe than others the school has experienced. According to Hill, Quinnipiac’s positive test rate is similar to Connecticut’s as a whole. When students arrived on campus in August, Connecticut’s positive test rate was roughly 1%. This past week that figure climbed to 4.9%.
Quinnipiac itself is far surpassing those figures, with 170 new cases reported since Nov. 4. From Wednesday to Friday, there was a 7.1% positive test rate. The drastic rise in cases prompted the university to shift from alert level yellow, to orange, to red all in a four day span from Nov. 3 to Nov. 6.
As the numbers continue to climb, Hill urges students to do their part in order to reduce the number of positive cases on campus. Each person on campus has a role to play in lowering the number of positive cases.
“All students should restrict interactions and activities while we are at an orange campus alert level,” Hill said. “Social interactions should be restricted to your residential family unit/pod to limit further spread of the virus. All students are asked to remain inside their residence halls, apartments or suites as much as possible, and if outdoors, please limit interactions to those with your roommates.”
It’s not just those who live on campus that are able to slow the spread. Any members of the Quinnipiac community that make visits to campus throughout their weeks are able to slow the spread as well.
“If you live in off-campus housing, please remain in your house to eliminate contagion within and outside our community,” Hill wrote. “Only by adhering to these measures, will we be able to hold infections in check.”
As cases continue to pile up, contact tracers are reaching out to students who may have been exposed to the virus. Hill urges anybody who is contacted to be honest in their responses, as they would be in no trouble and honestly would further slow the virus’ spread.