Duquesne University reports 13 new covid cases in a day

Duquesne University has confirmed 30 cases of covid-19 on campus this semester – nearly half of which occurred Thursday in what officials called a “focused increase.”

The university recorded 13 new cases among students in one day this week, marking the highest daily total for campus cases this semester.

An email from university officials identified the cases as a “focused increase” in resident students—meaning they occurred in a short, focused time frame.

Gabe Welsch, vice president of marketing and communications, said the university would not provide specifics about the location of cases or any groups associated with it.

“The reason for this is to encourage reporting,” he said in an email. “If individuals or groups are stigmatized as a result of reporting, it will result in people avoiding self-reporting or testing.”

The email said the university’s Residence Life and Health Services responded to the situation quickly. All positive cases are in isolation. Few people reportedly met the threshold for contact tracing, and all contacts are in quarantine.

The university will begin mandatory testing of all resident students starting next week. According to the university website, randomized testing of asymptomatic students has been voluntary. The entire process will take several weeks. Welsch said the university has a testing plan that involves specific time slots for testing in socially-distant conditions.