UW-Madison Shifting to Two Weeks of Online Classes Due to Coronavirus
Thursday, September 10th, 2020 -- 10:07 AM
(WMTV) -University of Wisconsin-Madison announced Wednesday it will be shifting to two weeks of online learning and two residence halls will be in quarantine.According to a news release, all in-person, graduate and professional group instruction will be paused from September 10 to September 25. Any classes that were in-person will be canceled from this Thursday Sept. 10 until this Saturday Sept. 12. Classes and sections that are currently being offered remotely will continue as scheduled. Due to the high number of positive COVID-19 test results from students living in Sellery and Witte residence halls, the university directed residents to quarantine for two weeks effective at 10 p.m. Wednesday. The university continued saying those who have not already been tested this week will be required to this Thursday and Friday. University Health Services will be conducting the tests on-site. Appointments will continue for on-campus testing and they are working to expand testing capacities. UW-Madison clarified that students are not being asked to move out of their residence halls or leave town, and they have significant quarantine space available if necessary. Contact tracing has not shown any evidence of transmission from in-person instruction so far, however the university noted that this decision was made out of caution for their students and employees. In addition to remote classes and the two halls being quarantined, all in-person study spaces will be closed, including those at University Libraries and the Wisconsin Union. The university said any clinical training will be allowed to continue as well. The University Libraries will revert to their summertime operations. Dining services will be shifted to carry-out options for housing residents and staff. The Wisconsin Union will only have curbside pickup, UW- Madison added.
University Recreation and Wellbeing facilities will be closed. UW- Madison added that University Health Services will only be open for urgent care needs and by appointment only. The university said Telehealth and telemedicine appointments are available. The university restricted undergraduate students to essential activities only on Monday. Since then, Chancellor Rebecca Blank said the positive COVID-19 test rate has risen too rapidly- hitting at 20% or greater. Blank noted at the end of last week, data reflected a high infection rate among students living off campus, but the latest numbers show an increase in certain residence halls. The university also ordered undergraduate research that can be done remotely must be conducted that way from Thursday until September 25. On or off campus face-to-face human subject research interactions conducted by students will also be suspended until September 25. Blank continued, saying UW-Madison also worked with public health officials to support the quarantine of students living in some fraternity and sorority houses and mandated testing for the live-in members. University of Wisconsin System President Tommy Thompson supported the steps announced by UW- Madison Wednesday, saying the steps are not unlike those being employed by other universities across the country. Thompson noted the 12 other universities in the UW System are still operating as expected at this time.
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