Virginia school reports COVID-19 cases in students, workers

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia Commonwealth University has confirmed 25 students and 11 employees with the coronavirus, a school spokesman said Thursday.

University spokesman Mike Porter said in an email that of the 25 students, 11 live on campus and are in isolation, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.

Haley Leis, a political science major, lives off-campus but comes onto campus several days a week for in-person classes.

“I felt obligated to come back because I wanted to graduate on time,” said Leis, a senior. However, she doesn’t feel safe, noting that while students are wearing their masks in classrooms, many aren’t wearing them when walking outside.

Leis has a recently released statewide app that uses Bluetooth technology to alert people when they have come in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

“I don’t trust VCU to notify people and I don’t trust people to say they are sick,” Leis said.

On Thursday, VCU launched its online COVID-19 dashboard where confirmed cases, testing numbers, isolation and self-quarantine numbers are updated daily, Monday through Friday.

VCU requires students to monitor their own health by taking daily surveys that monitor symptoms, testing themselves before arriving on campus, and being responsible for cleaning their own workspaces and belongings.

Nearly 100 students protested outside Monday, the start of the fall semester, against the school’s decision to reopen during the pandemic, along with its reliance on underpaid workers rather than full-time faculty and a police presence on campus.

The school is offering in-person and online classes and the university’s dorms are home to more than 4,000 students in space designed for more than more than 6,200.

While most people who contract the coronavirus recover after suffering only mild to moderate symptoms, it can be deadly for older patients and those with other health problems.

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