University of Wyoming reports 61 cases of the coronavirus
CASPER, Wyo. (AP) - The University of Wyoming has reported 61 confirmed cases of the coronavirus on Thursday, officials said.
The university tested more than 10,000 students and staffers ahead of the fall semester, which is scheduled to begin on Monday. Out of the 61 confirmed cases, 46 are still active as of Thursday and 15 people have recovered.
Two of the 46 active cases are students who were living in the dorms. They have since been isolated. Other students who were in close contact with the infected students are now required to quarantine for 14 days.
Eight of the active cases are university employees who live off campus. The final 36 of the active cases are students who live off campus, many of whom officials say do not live in Laramie.
School officials had initially planned to begin in-person classes immediately, but they decided last week that only some in-person education would start on Monday. The school said it plans on having all students returning on campus for in-person instruction by Sept. 28.
The school plans to test all students and employees twice a week until then.
"As we have seen across the country, many of our peers are having to pivot to online environments because of infection outbreaks," university President Ed Seidel said in a statement. "We believe we have one of the best programs in the nation to monitor and intervene to limit the virus spread, so we can continue to offer a strong on-campus program."
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some - especially older adults and people with existing health problems - it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.
