Polis: Unsafe to send home CU students

Sending University of Colorado students home while COVID- 19 surges would be “very dangerous,” Gov. Jared Polis said Friday as the Boulder campus moved to clear out a dormitory to create more space to isolate those who have contracted the virus.

The governor noted 16% of COVID- 19 tests came back positive Thursday at a new testing site on campus- adjacent University Hill, with CU’s surge fueling the sharp increase in Boulder County cases — and largely responsible for the modest rise in new infections statewide.

“The increase in the number of cases that are being seen is a concerning trend. If that trend continues, we want to be prepared with additional isolation space.” Melanie Parra, CU spokeswoman

“It would not be constructive for them to be sent away,” Polis said when asked about the prospect of closing the campus and sending students home. “That would be very dangerous. If a group that has a 16% positivity … if they were dispersed across the state and country, that would set off many other outbreaks.

“It’s very important to handle it in the dorms, in the off- campus housing, with responsible students quarantining, going online for two weeks, getting tested,” he added. “The playbook’s out there. We know how it’s done. We know that CU students are responsible. They’re going to do the right thing.”

Colorado’s statewide positivity rate is 2.8%, Polis said. Boulder County’s rate was nearly 4% as of Thursday, said Chana Gouesstis, spokeswoman for Boulder County Public Health. Health officials recommend trying to get the rate below 5% to slow the virus’ spread.

Statewide, COVID- 19 cases rose slightly over each of the past two weeks after having declined since early August. Hospitalizations, however, remain steady, with state officials saying they’ve plateaued after a long decrease. On Friday, 147 coronavirus patients were hospitalized in Colorado — and just eight in Boulder County.

Colorado’s uptick, Polis said, “is mostly but not entirely driven by the campus outbreaks, and specifically the University of Colorado.” The state also has recorded outbreaks linked to Colorado State University, the University of Denver, Regis University and Colorado College.

Increasing CU’s isolation space

CU leaders and Boulder

County health officials have said the spike in cases among students largely is tied to off- campus behavior, most notably large gatherings at Greek houses and other locations on the Hill.

County health officials this week urged all local CU students to self- quarantine for two weeks to stem the rising infections tied to the campus, although despite Polis’ comment about students going online, the university is still holding inperson classes.

With more than twothirds of its designated isolation housing already filled, CU leaders on Thursday night notified 186 students living in the Darley North tower at the Williams Village complex that they would need to move to another residence hall in Williams Village by 5 p. m. Sunday. They were told they would learn more about their new living arrangements in a Friday afternoon email.

Friday morning, CU reported 130 new cases of COVID- 19 on campus, bringing the total number of confirmed infections since classes resumed four weeks ago to 671.

According to the university’s COVID- 19 dashboard, 178 isolation spaces, or 67% of what had been allotted, is in use.

The majority of reserved isolation space is on campus, although 16 of those spaces are at local hotels. CU initially isolated students in dorm rooms without roommates, but as the need for space increases, campus officials said they will begin to double up students in those rooms.

“The increase in the number of cases that are being seen is a concerning trend,” said Melanie Parra, a CU spokeswoman. “If that trend continues, we want to be prepared with additional isolation space. At this time, we do not anticipate needing to move additional students out of their assigned rooms.”

“Really blindsided us”

Kadi Rayl, an 18- year- old freshman living in Darley North, sat outside the residence hall Friday with a small group of masked students discussing their uncertain futures.

Rayl had just started to feel like her cozy dorm room was home when she got the message that she would need to pack up and leave.

“It really blindsided us,” she said.

The email to students noted that a previous requirement for freshmen to live on campus had been relaxed and that students could apply to return home and finish their classes remotely. Requests to reside off campus locally will not be considered.

Rayl considered heading back to Yuma and ditching a chance at a college experience for what she felt was a safer option.

“Cases keep surging,” Rayl said. “I’m upset. CU didn’t consider our welfare. We all moved in over a week’s span, and now we’re going to have hundreds of students moving out at the same time? We don’t even know where we’re going or who our roommate is. I view this as a cash grab by the university.”

For the inconvenience, impacted students will receive a $ 250 credit that can be used toward tuition.

Parra said Darley North students moving into less expensive rooms than the ones they currently occupy — for example, a student living by themselves forced to live with a roommate — would be credited the difference in tuition dollars.

Living in a dorm with a roommate and a community bathroom costs $ 7,610 per semester, according to the university.

“Just so stressful”

Kennedy Pickering, an 18year- old freshman, felt so unsafe on campus this week that her mother booked her a nearby hotel room.

Pickering was concerned about her proximity to a COVID- positive student who hadn’t yet been moved to an isolation dorm.

“We couldn’t get answers on what to do,” Pickering said. “I have an autoimmune disease and didn’t feel safe in my dorm. I called my mom. She got me a hotel. I grabbed a bag I had already packed in case I needed to leave quickly, and I left.”

Sydney McKenzie, an 18year- old Darley North resident, said she would like to go home to Colorado Springs rather than leave the dorm she’s paying to live in alone and, potentially, get placed with a roommate who may not be taking COVID- 19 as seriously as she is. But she said still has three in- person classes and doesn’t know how to move forward.

McKenzie has regrets about coming to campus in the first place.

“The entire situation — getting a new roommate, the moving process — all of it is incredibly unsafe,” McKenzie said.

“On top of that, I have a few papers that are due this weekend. I have emailed my professors asking for extensions. This is all just so stressful.”