Update — Sept. 1, 2020 at 8:10 p.m.: UIndy has now launched its COVID-19 dashboard. It can be found at https://my.uindy.edu/covid-dashboard/. The original story is as follows.
The University of Indianapolis released information on the number of students who have been tested for COVID-19 and the number of students who are in quarantine at a local hotel in an email to the campus community on Aug. 31.
1,260 people were tested for COVID-19 in the weeks leading up to the start of the school year, according to Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Neil Perdue’s email. 2.2%, or 46, of the 1,260 tests were positive.
Those who were tested included those who were symptomatic, along with others who fell into higher-risk groups, according to the email. These higher-risk groups included student-athletes, those who had travelled internationally and those who had been in close contact with someone who had previously tested positive for COVID-19, according to Perdue’s email.
As of today, there are 26 students who are currently in quarantine at a local hotel. There have been a total of 60 students who have used the spaces as they re-entered the community, according to Perdue’s email.
The university reserved beds at a nearby hotel as part of their isolation and quarantine strategy for students in need. According to Perdue’s email, the beds were helpful as the university welcomed students from outside the United States back into the country. The beds also gave students a stable place to quarantine.
UIndy will also begin asymptomatic testing of individuals in order to monitor the spread of COVID-19 in the community, according to Perdue’s email. The individuals who will be tested will be selected through a process that includes sampling of individuals from groups who are considered high-risk. As the university learns more about the asymptomatic results, they will communicate the results to the campus community, according to Perdue’s email.
Perdue also announced that UIndy is in early conversations with the State of Indiana to explore building-by-building sewer testing that could possibly allow for a high-level understanding of COVID-19’s presence on campus. The testing has not been implemented yet, and when it is UIndy will notify the campus community.
A COVID-19 dashboard will be launched later this week that will be accessible through MyUIndy, according to Perdue’s email. The daily number of positive tests within the UIndy community will be highlighted on the dashboard, as well as the number of people in quarantine and isolation. Perdue said that he will also be providing weekly updates to the campus community about UIndy’s progress.
