Iona College, Monmouth University deal with COVID-19 spikes

Tuesday, October 13, 2020
COVID spikes at 2 area colleges
Iona College said this all started with one isolated event. But, they haven't said what exactly that event was.

NEW ROCHELLE, Westchester County (WABC) -- Iona College in Westchester County is locked down due to a coronavirus outbreak.

The university has said this all started with one isolated event. But, they haven't said what exactly that event was.

Still, they have moved to virtual learning through October 26th.

The college said they noticed the outbreak last week.

Right now, the total number of cases on campus is up to 69.

Iona says they've linked 64 of those COVID-19 cases to one super spreader event.

The majority, 98% of those cases, were reported among student-athletes.

It's not clear if students who didn't follow public health protocols will face any type of disciplinary action, but it is being investigated.

Despite the climb in positive cases, the university saying they do not believe this is indicative of a larger spread on campus.

The state requires college campuses to move to virtual learning if they have more than 100 cases among students and faculty.

Iona College posted on its website,

"While our positive test number does not approach the New York State threshold forcing colleges to move to virtual instruction, we are acting decisively to protect our community."

There's a similar situation at Monmouth University where they have 125 cases they say are connected to a single off-campus super spreader event

They shut down in-person classes in September...

The university said they need cooperation from students if they're going to be able to resume in-person classes this semester.

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