Cal Poly adds 2 COVID-19 cases as state heath officials release guidelines for fall term
Cal Poly now has had 21 positive cases of COVID-19 since March from students, faculty or staff, according to the San Luis Obispo university’s coronavirus website.
That’s up from 19 the previous week.
Of those 21 positive cases, 15 involve students and six involve employees at the university, said Matt Lazier, Cal Poly’s media relations director.
That’s up from 14 students and five employees last week.
The university has conducted 319 COVID-19 tests for students at its Health & Wellbeing Center, Lazier said.
The increase in cases comes after the California Department of Public Health released its guidance for higher education institutions on Friday.
Those guidelines, outlined in a 34-page document, address the precautions and safety measures that colleges and universities are expected to take when allowing students and faculty back on campus in the fall.
For counties on the state’s coronavirus “watchlist,” such as San Luis Obispo County, the CDPH said that all indoor lectures are prohibited. Only classes that allow for “substantial physical distancing” of students and staff are allowed, the agency said.
In a recent interview, Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong said that the university plans to only allow in-person schooling for about 15% of its classes. Those classes include labs and projects that require hands-on classwork that cannot be done at home, Armstrong said.
“As we have had, we will continue to have positive cases of COVID and I’m very confident in our plans and protocols to deal with it,” Armstrong said.
The state’s safety guidelines addresses many additional aspects of colleges and universities reopening, including:
- Complying with guidance on the use of face coverings;
- Establishing a campus-specific COVID-19 prevention plan;
- Implementing distancing on campus;
- Limiting nonessential visitors and campus activities;
- Closing nonessential shared spaces, such as game rooms and lounges;
- Providing grab-and-go meal options or serving individually plated meals;
- Prioritizing single-room occupancy for housing, except for family housing;
- Training faculty, staff and students on COVID-19 prevention; and
- Encouraging telework for as many faculty and staff as possible, especially workers at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19.
When a student, faculty or staff member tests positive for COVID-19 and has exposed others, the CDPH says the university must conduct initial assessments then consult with local public health officials to determine potential follow-up actions needed. Those measures could include total or partial closure.
Cal Poly’s next steps for the fall term
As of Monday, Cal Poly was still awaiting approval from California State University officials on its fall term plans. The main issue, Armstrong said, is housing.
“We have not received approval on our housing plan as to whether we will have singles only or some doubles or large doubles,” Armstrong said. “We we just don’t know. So it’s still up in the air.”
Although most classes will be held virtually, tuition or student fees will not change, Armstrong said.
The university has also launched a new website, “Roadmap to Fall 2020,” to help provide resources for parents, students and staff as the fall term approaches. Classes at the university are set to begin on Sept. 14.
This story was originally published August 10, 2020 at 11:32 AM.
