Georgia State University reports 132 cases of COVID-19 among students and faculty, a 25 case increase after students moved into on-campus housing.
The cases, received by an open records request, are based on voluntary reports and tests collected by the university between March 19 to Aug. 24. The information received is not detailed enough to point to the reason for the rise in cases.
As of Aug. 24, 43 members of the athletics department tested positive after 1,755 tests were conducted. Of those who tested positive, 37 were student-athletes and six were staff members.
Students returned to on-campus housing between Aug. 15-23 for the upcoming semester. Before they were able to do so, students were screened for symptoms and given a temperature check.
The university has also been following up with opt-in surveillance tests for students living on-campus. The university’s goal is to test about 250 to 300 people per week, according to Shannon Corey, interim director of University Housing.
On Aug. 21, Corey said the University Student Health Clinic received a lower response rate they were aiming for during initial calls for testing, so they were going to increase emails to about 1,000 people per week in efforts to raise it.
Since then, the university has welcomed over 52,000 students with a record-breaking freshman class of more than 5,000. Students have also finished their first week of class, either online or face-to-face.
Statewide, there have been 265,372 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Georgia as of Aug. 28, according to the state Department of Public Health.
Last week, PRN reported 107 confirmed cases of COVID-19 at Georgia State since the university closed in mid-March. Details about the number of cases between students and employees and the dates of the voluntary reports remain unreleased.
Related: Georgia State University reports 107 COVID-19 cases as reopening nears
On July 13, the university reported 18 positive cases within the athletic department. Broken down, 14 were student-athletes and four were staff members, according to a records request.
The open records request to obtain the March 19 through Aug. 24 count of cases was submitted on Aug. 24 and received on Aug. 27.
PRN strives to offer its readers an informed perspective of COVID-19’s presence on campus as soon as the information is received.
Note: PRN has reached out to the Student Health Clinic, but has not been able to receive an interview for this story. This article was written for PRN, the student-led news station at Georgia State University.
