Back to school (Notre Dame coronavirus edition)

Reported in Notre Dame moves to online classes, closes public spaces for 2 weeks to stop COVID-19 spike.  (South Bend Tribune, 8/19/2020)

Related reading:
Notre Dame Plans to Reopen Its Campus in the Fall.  (The New York Times, 5/18/2020)

The university said on Monday that the fall semester will begin and end earlier than usual, without breaks, to minimize the chances for students to bring the coronavirus back to campus.

Op-ed by John I. Jenkins.  We’re Reopening Notre Dame. It’s Worth the Risk.   (The New York Times, 5/26/2020)

At the University of Notre Dame, we recently announced our plans to return students to campus for the fall semester. In order to reduce the chances that students from around the country and the world with multiple departures and returns will carry pathogens with them, we will bring students back two weeks early, forgo a fall break and finish the semester before Thanksgiving. 

As soon as students arrive in August, we will conduct orientations to welcome them back in the Covid-19 era. We will also institute extensive protocols for testing; contact tracing and quarantining; and preventive measures, such as hand-washing, physical distancing and, in certain settings, the wearing of masks. This is how we can restore in-person classes safely.  (emphasis added)

The moral of the story:  Don't mess with the virus.

Week by week:  COVID-19 cases in Indiana

North Carolina edition

Reported in UNC-Chapel Hill moves all classes online after 130 more students infected with COVID-19.  (Raleigh News and Observer, 8/18/2020)

Related post:
Week by week:  COVID-19 cases in North Carolina.


Mississippi edition 

Reported in As Mississippi schools' positive COVID-19 cases surge, more testing coming for teachers.  (Clarion Ledger, 8/17/2020)

Related post:
Week by week:  COVID-19 cases in Mississippi.