United States Reports 1400+ Deaths, Worst Daily Toll Since Mid-August
Cases Are Rising Across the Midwest, Driven in Part by University Outbreaks
19 of 25 Worst Outbreaks in Country in Communities Heavy With College Students
Donald Trump knew the dangers of coronavirus but nonetheless let the crisis spiral out of control. From the outset, he downplayed the risks, disregarded the experts, and undercut the science all while refusing to take decisive action that would have protected Americans.
Then, Donald Trump recklessly urged states to reopen before it was safe to do so — driving a deadly summer surge. After that, Donald Trump lied about the risks of the virus to young people — urging schools to reopen for in person learning without adequate safety measures, and without getting the virus under control.
Unsurprisingly, Donald Trump’s reckless endangerment of America’s youth is already resulting in major repercussions: massive surges at colleges across the country are driving outbreaks and putting more and more people at risk.
KEY TRENDS: The United States Still Faces a Devastating Crisis
On September 15, The United States Recorded More Than 1,400 Deaths To Coronavirus — The Highest Daily Death Toll In A Month.
- “An additional 1,422 coronavirus-related fatalities were recorded in the United States on Tuesday, a more than threefold increase from the previous day, according to a real-time count kept by Johns Hopkins University. The country’s latest daily death toll from COVID-19 [is] the highest since Aug. 12.” [ABC News, 9/16/20]
Cases Are Reaching Record Levels In The Midwest, Linked To Surges At Universities.
- “Through Friday, North Dakota, South Dakota, Missouri and Iowa had added more recent cases per capita than all other states. As restrictions were loosened around the country, some local governments in the Midwest urged people to take the virus more seriously, and considered possible new limits on bars and face mask requirements in public… Young adults, who often have milder cases of the virus, are helping to drive this surge in cases. Thousands of infections have been linked to Midwestern universities, some of which have struggled to enforce social distancing rules. Though college outbreaks are not unique to the region, the scale of those outbreaks, given the relatively small populations of states like South Dakota and North Dakota, has had an outsize effect.” [New York Times, 9/13/20]
Skyrocketing Cases at Universities Are Driving Dangerous Outbreaks
Across The United States, 19 Of The 25 Worst Outbreaks Are In Communities With A Large College Population.
- “Across the country, college students’ mounting coronavirus outbreaks have become an urgent public health issue. Of the 25 hottest outbreaks in the U.S., communities heavy with college students represent 19 of them. They span the map from Georgia Southern University to the University of North Dakota, from Virginia Tech to Central Texas College. In some of the college towns, like Pullman, Washington, home to Washington State, students aren’t even taking classes in person, yet are still crowding apartments and filling local bars.” [USA Today, 9/11/20]
Lafayette County, Home To The University Of Mississippi Where 430 Cases Have Been Confirmed, Has One Of The Highest Per Capita Rates Of Coronavirus Infections In The Country.
- “According to recent numbers, the University of Mississippi has recorded about 430 confirmed cases since Aug. 24, the first day of classes in Oxford, and still has plenty of housing for those who have been infected or exposed to the virus. Data in Lafayette County, home to the Mississippi flagship, paint a starker picture. An analysis by USA TODAY shows the county has one of the highest per-capita rates of coronavirus infections in the country, at 1,053 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people in the last two weeks.” [USA Today, 9/11/20]
Since More Than 700 Cases Of COVID-19 Were Reported At James Madison University In The First Week Of Class, There Are More Than 20 Times As Many Cases Per Capita In Harrisonburg Than At The End Of July.
- “At James Madison University, where rising infections have put the independent city of Harrisonburg at the top of the nation’s outbreaks, the college recorded more than 700 COVID-19 cases in one week of class and promptly pivoted to online instruction on Sept. 1. In the past two weeks, the case rate per 100,000 residents in Harrisonburg has climbed to 1,562. In late July, that number had been at 71 cases per 100,000.” [USA Today, 9/11/20]
Three-Fourths Of Greek Houses On Campus At Indiana University In Bloomington Are In Quarantine.
- “Indiana University in Bloomington, administrators quarantined three-fourths of Greek houses on campus and suggested students vacate the remaining houses and find new places to live.” [USA Today, 9/11/20]
The Ingham County Health Department Is Advising All Students At Michigan State University To Quarantine After 342 People Have Tested Positive Since August 24.
- “The Ingham County Health Department is recommending all Michigan State University students self-quarantine immediately to contain a coronavirus outbreak from which at least 342 people have tested positive for the disease since Aug. 24… In the three weeks prior to the case surge, just 23 MSU-affiliated people tested positive, the health department said. The department did not disclose how many people in the latest outbreak were experiencing symptoms or hospitalized.” [The Detroit News, 9/12/20]
Grand Valley State University Is Reporting The Largest Campus-Centered Outbreak In Michigan, With More Than 400 Cases.
- “The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is publicly reporting outbreaks of COVID-19 at schools, college and universities. According to this data, most of the outbreaks are coming from higher education institutions with Grand Valley State University reporting the highest number of cases. The Allendale-based university has been reporting the total number of active cases on its website. The school’s dashboard shows there are 419 actives cases between staff, on-campus and off-campus students. The state’s website lists 438.” [WZZM, 9/14/20]
In Wisconsin, Positive Cases Of COVID-19 Have Nearly Quadrupled Among People Ages 18-24 Since Colleges Began To Reopen.
- “During the week of Aug. 16, before most colleges welcomed back students, 778 people between 18 and 24 years old tested positive for COVID-19. Wisconsin Health Services data shows that number Tuesday was at more than 2,800.” [Fox 11, 9/15/20]
More Than 2,000 People Have Tested Positive At The University Of Wisconsin-Madison Since August, And Now Infections Are Spreading To The Broader Community.
- “‘There’s real clear evidence that the outbreak that’s happening among students has bled into the community more broadly,’ said Malia Jones, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the university. ‘Cases have really shot up in (Dane County), even not counting all the students’… Roughly 20% of the dorms’ more than 2,200 residents have tested positive, the email said. Campuswide since August, 2,160 students and 31 employees have been positive in on-campus testing. The university last week suspended face-to-face classes. More than half of fraternity and sorority houses near campus are under quarantine, as are more than a third of students who live in dorms.” [Wisconsin State-Journal, 9/16/20]
SUNY Oneonta Cancelled Classes And Sent Students Home After Reporting More Than 670 Cases, The Worst College Outbreak In New York State.
- “SUNY Oneonta in upstate New York had seriously mishandled the pandemic, resulting in the worst outbreak of any college in New York State, with more than 670 cases, totaling about 10 percent of the campus student population. In terms of the percentage of students infected, it is one of the most notable outbreaks on a campus anywhere in the country. As a result, officials had to cancel in-person classes for the fall and send students home.” [New York Times, 9/16/20]
Less Than One Month Into The Semester, More Than 1,800 Cases Of COVID-19 Have Been Reported At The University Of Iowa.
- “The University of Iowa on Monday added another 76 self-reported cases of COVID-19 since Friday — bringing its campus total less than a month into the fall semester to 1,831. That total includes mostly students — with 72 new cases for 1,804 so far. The campus is reporting another four new employee cases since Friday for 27 total since Aug. 18.” [The Gazette, 9/14/20]
The University Of Illinois Has Reported More Than 1,700 New Cases Since Students Began Returning To Campus On August 15.
- “University of Illinois officials have blamed an unpredicted surge in Covid-19 cases to some students partying and avoiding quarantining and contact tracing efforts. The university reported 1,754 new cases from Aug. 15 when students started coming back to campus, through Sept. 8, although a team of researchers working directly for the university administration had projected only 500 to 700 cases by Thanksgiving.” [CU-CitizenAccess, 9/11/20]
On September 13, Utah Reported Its Largest Three-Day Jump In New Infections Since Mid-July, As Cases Rising Among People 15-24 Years Old.
- “College students, particularly in Utah County, keep partying, and the state’s COVID-19 cases keep rising. The number of new COVID-19 cases in Utah remained high Sunday, with 628 reported by the state Department of Health. That number, combined with 656 cases Friday and 572 on Saturday, is the largest three-day jump in cases since mid-July. The surge has been particularly pronounced among Utahns 15 to 24 years old. People in that age group now make up 25% of cases, the second highest number behind people ages 25 to 44 (37%).” [Salt Lake Tribune, 9/15/20]
School Outbreaks Continue and Infections Increase Among K-12 Students as New Evidence Details Risks to Children and Their Families
A New Report By The Centers For Disease Control And Prevention Confirms That Children Can And Do Transmit The Virus To Members Of Their Household.
- “Children can and do transmit the coronavirus to members of their household, a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirms. Why it matters: As the coronavirus spreads through schools across the country, the people who live with exposed children — some of whom may be older or have preexisting conditions — are also at risk of catching the virus… The study looked at coronavirus outbreaks associated with three child care facilities in Utah. It found that 12 children acquired the virus in these facilities, and then transmitted it to at least 12 of their non-facility contacts — about a quarter of such contacts. One parent was hospitalized, and two asymptomatic children transmitted the virus.” [Axios, 9/14/20]
Since Reopening Public Schools, Florida Has Seen Infections Among Children Under 18 Jump By 26 Percent.
- “Since many Florida public schools opened their doors about a month ago, the number of children under 18 who have contracted Covid-19 statewide has jumped 26%, state data show.” [CNN, 9/14/20]
A New York City Public School Is Closing Two Confirmed Cases In Seven Days.
- “The first New York City public school will close due to COVID-19 concerns before students even enter the building, a city official announced Friday. P.S. 811X — the Academy for Career and Living Skill — on Longfellow Avenue in the Bronx will close temporarily for 24 hours, with two confirmed cases in seven days that were not limited to one classroom or group. It’s the first time a school has closed, albeit temporarily, this fall.” [PIX11, 9/14/20]
Two Weeks Into The School Year, More Than A Dozen Public Schools In Connecticut Have Shut Down In-Person Learning Following Cases Among Students And Staff.
- “Two weeks into the school year, more than a dozen public schools across Connecticut have temporarily shut down in-person learning due to COVID-19 cases among students and staff, as administrators ask for consistency in school closure recommendations from the state. Gov. Ned Lamont said on WNPR Monday morning that schools should not shut down because of a single case — particularly at the K-8 level where most districts are cohorting students — and expanded on the topic during an afternoon press briefing.” [Hartford Courant, 9/14/20]
At Least Six New Jersey Schools Have Announced Changes To Their Schedules Folowing Cases Among Students And Staff.
- “At least six New Jersey school districts have announced schedule changes just days into the academic year in response to coronavirus cases among students and staff. Schools in the state were allowed to reopen for a hybrid of in-person teaching and online learning, all-remote learning or fully reopen under specific guidelines in response to the pandemic. Meanwhile, reports of students and staff infected with the contagious pathogen have prompted districts to adapt their plans.” [NJ.com, 9/14/20]
A Dozen Students From Chatham High School In New Jersey Tested Positive For The Virus After Attending A Labor Day Weekend Party, Forcing The School To Switch To Remote Classes.
- “Chatham High School has switched to all-remote classes for two weeks after at least a dozen students who attended a Labor Day weekend party tested positive for the coronavirus, officials said. Chatham Superintendent Michael LaSusa said in a letter to parents and staff Friday that the confirmation of additional cases led to the decision to close the school building and switch to virtual instruction for 14 days.” [NJ.com, 9/14/20]
A Vermont Middle School Is Closing In-Person Instruction After Two Students Who Attended The First Day Of School Tested Positive.
- “A central Vermont middle school will be closed to in-person instruction this week after two students tested positive for Covid-19. Harwood Unified Union School District Superintendent Brigid Nease said Sunday afternoon she had been notified that two Crossett Brook students that attended school in-person on Tuesday – the first day of school – had tested positive for the virus. The Duxbury school serves about 300 students in grades 5 to 8.” [VTDigger, 9/13/20]
Conestoga Valley School District In Pennsylvania Is Closing Its High School For One Week After Three Confirmed Cases Of COVID-19.
- “The Conestoga Valley School District is closing the high school for one week due to coronavirus cases. Officials said there have been three confirmed and one probable COVID-19 case. Students will learn virtually during the closure. Superintendent Dave Zuilkoski said in a letter posted to the district website that the high school will remain shut down from Sept. 12 through Sept. 21.” [WGAL, 9/13/20]