RENO, Nev. (AP) - Citing a recent spike in campus COVID-19 cases, the University of Nevada, Reno is suspending all in-class instruction effective Nov. 30 and directing most students not to return to residence halls after Thanksgiving.
The school currently plans for students to return to dormitories for the spring semester - and resume a combination of remote and in-class instruction - on Jan. 25, UNR officials announced Friday.
But over the nearly two-month period in between, all classes will be conducted remotely. Only students facing a hardship or other extenuating circumstance will be allowed to live on campus.
In recent weeks, one out of nine positive cases of coronavirus in Washoe County has been tied to the university, and the 18-24 age range continues to be the highest range for new cases, school officials said.
“Clearly, we must continue to find ways to lessen these rates in the best interests of our university family and the broader community,” UNR President Brian Sandoval said in announcing the changes for the campus bordering downtown Reno.
Washoe County Health District Officer Kevin Dick said he supports the move. The county has the state’s highest rate for cases per 100,000 residents over the last 30 days.
Statewide, officials reported eight deaths and 766 new confirmed cases on Friday. Although the spike in new cases was the largest since mid-August, officials attributed the uptick to reporting delays.
The state reported 17,916 tests after adding data from a new laboratory that had not previously sent results and from the National Football League. The league has tested more than 370,000 individuals since Aug. 1, or an average of 11,500 per team.
Nevada has confirmed a total of 84,593 positive cases and 1,657 deaths since the outbreak began in March.
Sandoval, the former governor who started his new job on Monday, announced the closing of the campus fitness center earlier this week. He also decided Nevada’s season-opening football game against Wyoming on Oct. 24 would be played without fans, with the exception of some family of players and coaches capped at a total of 250 in accordance with county restrictions on public gatherings.
Sandoval said students appear to be practicing social distancing, wearing masks and following other guidelines to protect against the virus on campus, but that off-campus parties and other interactions were continuing to be a problem.
Washoe County has reported 10,335 positive cases and 167 deaths in the seven months since the first case was confirmed in March.
UNR has confirmed a total of 623 positive cases since then - 581 students and 42 faculty/staff - but 111 of those have been confirmed just in the week from Sept. 26 to Oct. 2. There have been no deaths. An update for this week hasn’t been released yet.
Dr. Cheryl Hug-English, head of UNR’s student health center, said only 4% of classes currently are being taught entirely in person and 23% have some in-class component. That means about three-fourths of all instruction - involving roughly 16,500 of the university’s 21,000 students - already is taking place exclusively remotely.
She estimated fewer than 1,000 students were on campus at any one time.
The new Jan. 25 start date for the spring semester is a week later than previously scheduled, which will require elimination of the traditional break in the spring.
“Losing spring break will be a disappointment to many,” Sandoval said Friday. “But an uninterrupted spring semester coming on the heels of our adjusted end to the fall semester gives us our best chance to `Protect the Pack.’ ”
Students in residence halls will get prorated refunds on room and board for the time they aren’t allowed to live there.
Dick said earlier this week that 25% of Washoe County’s cases overall are among the 20-29 age group, and 22% fall between the ages of 18 and 24.
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