An APSU student who lives off campus and a staff member have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and the APSU COVID-19 Task Force announced that people violating social distancing requirements may face disciplinary actions.
The student has not been on campus for several weeks, and became the university’s first confirmed case on March 30, according to an email sent Monday by President Alissa White. The staff member case was reported as the second case, but this staff member has not been on campus since March 14, testing positive March 28.
“We notified all campus community members who may have come in contact with these individuals and informed them they needed to take the necessary precautions for self-quarantining,” White wrote.
The task force sent an email shortly after White’s reporting that:
“In several of our APSU COVID-19 Task Force messages, we have mentioned following the Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines for social distancing.. Over the last week, we have noticed that many individuals are not implementing CDC guidelines of social distancing.”
“Although this is news we hoped to avoid, it is not unexpected given the rapid spread of this virus across the country. Still, I know it is a cause of concern,” White wrote in her letter to the university Monday, March 30. “I urge our students, employees and community members to continue to take care of themselves. We are hopeful the student and the staff member both have a full and rapid recovery.”
White and the task force encourage students not to return to campus this semester and if you are living on campus, to avoid congregating in groups larger than 10 people, maintaining the recommended 6-feet-apart distance.
“As the virus continues to spread worldwide, more members of our community may be diagnosed, but the University – along with its COVID-19 Task Force – is doing everything possible to limit this spread. To see what we’ve already done, visit www.apsu.edu/coronavirus. I will keep you informed on any additional updates regarding this pandemic,” White wrote.
The university is issuing a mandatory campus-wide social distancing being referred to as, “Have a heart, stay six feet apart.” These announcements only pair with the extension President Trump has brought on social distancing precautions, originally planned to, with hope, end by Easter, to now be extended until April 30.
As a reminder, students and faculty should regularly check APSU emails to keep track of COVID-19 updates regarding the university. For more information on COVID-19 case updates in Tennessee and what precautions can be taken visit the TN Health Department page. This link is a summary PDF from their site:
