How Columbus area colleges are reporting COVID cases and quarantines to the public
Now that the 2021-22 school year has started at colleges in the Columbus area, here’s how you can find the number of reported COVID-19 cases and quarantines among their students and employees:
Columbus State University
Columbus State University posts its weekly coronavirus data on its website.
As of Aug. 23, CSU had report of 31 students and employees with active COVID cases the previous seven days. That increased by two from the 29 reported the seven days before Aug. 17. CSU doesn’t specify how many of them are students and how many are employees.
CSU also posts two categories of students and employees in quarantine: active exposure cases and active symptomatic cases.
Active exposure cases are those who have reported being exposed to someone exhibiting COVID symptoms or have tested positive for the coronavirus, but the exposed individuals have not tested positive.
Active symptomatic cases are those who have reported COVID symptoms but have not tested positive.
Students and employees in both categories communicate with the university’s COVID-19 Response Team to determine when to take a coronavirus test and when to return to campus, according to the website.
As of Aug. 23, CSU had reports of 35 active exposure cases and 24 active asymptomatic cases in the previous seven days. Both figures increased from the 13 active exposure cases and 11 active symptomatic cases in the previous seven days, as of Aug. 17.
Columbus Technical College
Columbus Technical College’s COVID-19 data is not available to the public.
“Columbus Tech closely monitors and manages COVID reporting and mitigation internally,” Tara Askew, CTC’s vice president for student affairs, enrollment services and communications, told the Ledger-Enquirer in an email. “We will not be regularly reporting to the public.”
Asked why, Askew didn’t answer before publication.
Chattahoochee Valley Community College
Chattahoochee Valley Community College posts its COVID data on its website.
CVCC keeps a running log of reported cases, identified as a student or an employee, but cumulative or weekly totals for positive tests or quarantines aren’t listed.
For example, as of Aug. 23, CVCC had two entries in August:
- One student, 8/3/2021. “The student tested positive for COVID-19 on August 3. She was not within six feet for 15 minutes or more of any individuals while on campus. She and the others were also wearing facemasks.”
- One employee, 8/2/2021. “Tested positive on August 2. Was not in contact with other employees for more than 15 minutes without a mask.”
This story was originally published August 24, 2021 at 11:22 AM.
