UConn marks last day of in-person classes for semester

STORRS — As University of Connecticut students wrapped up their last day of in- person instruction Friday, the state’s largest university offered them its thanks for making it through the semester.

UConn is having students complete the last two weeks of the semester after Thanksgiving break remotely and off campus.

Many colleges and universities throughout the region are following suit, to offset the risk of students bringing the virus back with them after the break.

In a letter to the community, President Tom Katsouleas thanked students for following UConn’s COVID- 19 restrictions.

“We can make all the plans and protocols we want, but they are only truly effective if our students follow them. And the vast majority of you did — and not just when it came to quarantines,” Kasouleas’ letter said.

UConn also produced a video thanking the school community for its efforts.

The school is providing exit testing to students before they leave to reduce the chances they bring the virus home to their families.

The last day of in- person classes comes as UConn officials reported 16 new infections Friday, with a dozen of them among students living off campus.

A total of 67 students are in isolation on campus after testing positive or exhibiting symptoms, according to UConn’s dashboard, and the cumulative number of off- campus student cases is now at 287.

In recent days, the school has identified clusters of cases off- campus UConn officials said are linked to gatherings last week.

On Wednesday alone, UConn reported 40 new cases among off- campus students.

Katsouleas acknowledged the university had been “staggered” by new cases at UConn and elsewhere in recent days in his letter.

In early September as cases began to mount, a majority of students predicted the campus would close before the end of the month, according to a survey conducted by The Daily Campus, UConn’s newspaper.

In his letter Friday, the university’s president admitted that at the time, he didn’t think they were

“necessarily wrong.”

“We were cautiously optimistic that here at UConn, we could make it work, but also prepared topull the plug and abort the plan if necessary,” he said.

He offered students his best wishes over the holiday.

About 500 students will remain at UConn over the break, a group that includes international students, student athletes and those who cannot return home, according to UConn spokeswoman Stephanie Reitz.

She said UConn will continue to provide medical care to students recovering from the illness or in quarantine.

UConn plans to stop updating its COVID- 19 dashboard on the weekends until the spring semester.

Around the rest of the state, Quinnipiac University in Hamden reported two new cases Friday since Wednesday, while the number of active cases declined from 190 to 168. Most classes there are still remote.

The University of New Haven in West Haven reported 23 new cases in the last seven days, with 46 active cases as of Friday — including three among staff or faculty.

Wesleyan University in Middletown reported 18 new cases this week, bringing the active total there to 29 as of Friday.

Fairfield University reported nine new cases as of Thursday, bringing the active caseload there to 108.

Sacred Heart University, also in Fairfield, has downgraded its COVID- 19 alert status from red to orange, but said classes will remain remote for the rest of the semester. Since Tuesday, 36 new cases have emerged at Sacred Heart, bringing the active caseload to 221.

Central Connecticut State University in New Britain reported nine new cases as of Thursday.

Connecticut College in New London reported five new cases this week, bringing the active number there to 12.

Yale University in New Haven reported three new cases Wednesday, brining the cumulative number there for the semester to 251.

Trinity College in Hartford reported eight new cases this week, bringing the active cases there to 23 as of Thursday.

Western Connecticut State University in Danbury reported 12 new cases last week, bringing the total there for the semester to 41.