109 students suspended for COVID violations
More than 100 Sacred Heart University students have been suspended and two have been removed for the rest of the semester for violating the school’s COVID-19 standards.
The strict penalties are one approach Connecticut colleges are taking to control the spread of the coronavir us.
The COVID-19 pandemic has put colleges in a difficult situation, according to Dr. Rock Ferrigno, associate chief medical officer and chairman of emer
gency medicine at Bridgeport Hospital. Ferrigno said the “new normal” of constant social distancing and avo idance of large gatherings goes against the ver y nature of the college experience.
“I think the hardest part is that college is both a learning and a social experience,” he said. “It’s ver y difficult to change behavior. You want (students) to focus on hand-washing, mask-wearing and social distancing. But we’re at a disadvantage, because we’re dealing with a social norm of college that doesn’t fit (with what students are used to).”
Larr y Wielk, Sacred Heart’s dean of students, said 109 students have been suspended for violating the school’s COVID r ules. About 100 of the students received 30-day suspensions for breaking the school’s r ule that prohibits gatherings of more than 12 people, Wielk said. Eight students received seven-day suspensions for f ace mask violations, he said.
Two of the students have been dismissed for the semester for violating the
r ules more than once, Wielk said.
However, Gar y MacNamara, SHU’s executive director of public safety and government aff airs and co-chairman of its Coronavir us Management Team, said most students seem to be taking the restrictions seriously.
“For the most part, we’re seeing that to be ver y effective,” MacNamara said of the r ule against large gatherings.
The school has combined penalties and rewards — SHU President John Petillo handed out gift cards last week to students he found following the university’s social distancing r ules — to help prevent the spread of CO
VID.
Others measures the school is taking include regular testing of symptomatic and asymptomatic students, a variety of precautions and even newly installed “scent tents” to help students determine if they’ve lost their sense of smell — a common COVID symptom.
The 10 tents, which contain flower arrangements, have been placed around campus.
“Some of the students who have tested positive since the semester started said they’ve lost their sense of smell,” MacNamara said. “We know that’s a common symptom, but you may go most of the day not paying attention to your sense of smell. Also, it education and health aufected people from nonbrightens up the campus.” thorities are fighting the infected people,” Ferrigno
However, he said, in the spread of COVID in var ysaid. “But more work week or so since the tents ing ways. needs to be done to enforce have been up, “I can’t attriAt the University of mask-wearing and social bute somebody go ing there Connecticut, the Storrs distancing. You almost and saying ‘I can’t smell.’ ” campus is testing its need additional hallway
As of Friday, MacNamwastewater in the hopes it monitors to remind ever yara said there were 109 will alert officials to an one ‘Hey, your mask on active COVID cases among outbreak of the vir us beyour chin is not go ing to SHU students and 128 had fore symptoms start to help you.’ ” recovered from the disease. appear. UConn has 45 acConnecticut K-12 school The school is starting to tive cases and has addistricts are f acing similar use a rapid saliva-based dressed several outbreaks challenges. Fairfield Public test kit developed by the in campus dorms by quarSchools Superintendent Yale School of Public antining students in those Mike Cummings has partly Health to help ramp up residence halls. attributed an outbreak in testing. At the University of New the district to students
At Fairfield University, Haven, where 37 on-camgathering while not in gatherings of more than 10 pus students and 38 comschool. people have been prohibmuters are being quaranFairfield Ludlowe High ited unless the group has tined, random testing is School has twice closed for received approval from expected to increase this several days since Sept. 24 school officials. month. as positive cases among
University spokeswomDoug Whiting, associate students have increased to an Susan Cipollaro said the 20.vicepresidentformarketpenalty for violating the ing and public relations at Fairfield Health Director r ule, or any other COVIDUNH, said the school testSands Clear y said the town related directives, is stued 750 students and staff has been working with the dent conduct probation, last week and expects to be schools to raise awareness which “may escalate to testing 900 students per about preventing the removal from campus for week later this month. spread of COVID. the semester, dismissal or Other wise, he said, the At least some of the Ludexpulsion.” school has taken such mealowe cases have been
Cipollaro said students sures as limiting guests, linked to pick-up football have violated the directive and educating the commuor basketball games, and about social gatherings nity about COVID policies. Clear y said it’s essential and “these violations have However, Ferrigno said ever yone knows that even been addressed through more still needs to be done small gatherings can lead our student conduct proon Connecticut college to the spread of the illness. cess.” Cipollaro declined to campuses to control the “Any time you get tosay how many students vir us. gether outside of your have been disciplined. “We’re seeing a lot of household, the risk chang
Elsewhere in the state, good work separating in- es,” he said.