On Saturday, more than 1,200 academics and 166 workers tested positive for COVID-19 at the University of Alabama.
Positive tests among academics have more than doubled since the university introduced its COVID-19 follow-up panel this week. The dashboard, which includes the number of cases, positivity rates, isolation, and occupation of the area, is similar to that used by many states to inform the public about the coronavirus.
“The increase seen in recent days is unacceptable and, if left unchecked, threatens our ability to finish the rest of the semester on campus,” University of Alabama President Stuart Bell said at a news convention this week. “It’s time to act.”
In recent days, academics have shared images on social media from the crowd and queues in the bars of Tuscaloosa, where the university is located. Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox responded by issuing a decree to close the bars for 14 days, from August 24 to September 8.
“According to my conversations with the University for more than 48 hours, the increasing number of coronavirus cases on campus will create two major interruptions for Tuscaloosa if released,” Maddox said at Monday’s press conference.
While many universities have opted for distance education only because of the pandemic, giant epidemics similar to those in schools and universities are more adapting to schools, encouraging academics to return to campus. In addition to the University of Alabama, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Notre Dame and the University of Central Florida are among the schools that report spikes in COVID-19 infections among academics and staff.
Alabama had recorded at least 113,700 cases of COVID-19 and more than 2,000 virus-like deaths, according to the state’s fitness department.
Tune ABC to 1 p.m. ET and ABC News Live at four p.m. ET each and every day of the week for the special policy of the new coronavirus with the entire ABC News team, adding the latest news, context and analysis.
24/7 policy of the latest news and events