Chico State Cancels The Rest Of Its In-Person Classes After Dozens Test Positive For Coronavirus
CHICO (AP) - California State University, Chico canceled its limited number of in-person classes Monday and told students to vacate campus housing by the weekend after at least 30 people tested positive for the coronavirus days after the fall semester started.
University President Gayle Hutchinson announced in a statement Sunday that the in-person classes it offered when the semester started last week will be virtual-only for the duration of the fall semester. She also asked students to vacate on-campus housing by Sunday because nearly all on-campus residences have at least one positive case and "there is concern the numbers will only increase."
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"We understand the inconvenience of vacating campus housing so quickly, but Chico State's residence halls have experienced rapid and alarming rates of COVID-19 cases and the well-being of students makes quick action imperative," Hutchinson said. "Simply put, we need students out of the residence halls as quickly as possible for their own safety.
University staff will help students secure alternate housing and students with no other housing options will be accommodated, she said.
The fall semester started last week with about 10% of their 4,200 classes taking place in person.
The in-person sections were deemed essential for degree progress and included "clinical and field labs, performance and studio-arts classes, and capstone courses in engineering and agriculture," the university said.
Copyright 2020 The Associated Press.
