NEW: University of Tennessee has new restrictions in place to deal with rise in virus cases
University of Tennessee Chancellor Donde Plowman announced stringent guidelines on campus to address an explosion of COVID cases which has now grown to more than 650.
Those new restrictions include:
– No visitation in any on-campus housing. Only residents who live in the building should enter a residence hall or Greek house, and only roommates or suitemates should be together in individual rooms. All common spaces that are not already closed will be closed.
– All on-campus dining will be converted to carry out. Dining options and procedures will remain the same, but there will be no eat-in dining during this time. All dining in Greek houses is also grab-and-go only.
– TRECS will be closed for two weeks. Fitness classes and instructor training can be held outside or virtually. The outdoor pool will remain open and outdoor intramurals will continue.
– All indoor in-person campus events are canceled during this two-week period. Socially distant academic programming and research, outdoor events with safety precautions in place, and virtual events will continue.
– In-person classes and research will continue. Contact tracing indicates that classrooms and current levels of research activity have not contributed to the spread of COVID-19.
– Social gatherings on campus should be held outdoors, follow CDC guidance for social distancing, and require that all attendees wear masks.
– Off-campus social gatherings should similarly be held outdoors or follow the Knox County Board of Health’s recommendation for indoor activities, limiting gatherings to no more than 25 people in a 900-square-foot space. In addition, students hosting any gatherings are responsible for making sure that attendees are following CDC guidance regarding social distancing and mask-wearing.
Plowman called out UT fraternities earlier this week as she announced virus cases had risen to unacceptable levels while accusing frats of renting spaces off-campus to hold parties and senior members instructing fellow members to not get tested for COVID or reveal positive results.
(IMAGE: University of Tennessee Knoxville / Official social media)
