August 21, 2020 - Moratorium at The University
Moratorium at The University
August 21, 2020
I don’t have a lot of confidence in today’s data so I plan to keep this short. ADPH said there were 321 new cases (no probables listed) and 16 deaths. As of 7:00 pm, no test data had been posted. In a morning tweet, the Department blamed the delay on “technical issues”. It is not clear if the delay relates to the number of tests or to the results of those tests - or both.
In addition, ADPH made a significant upward revision to yesterday’s report of hospitalizations. Instead of 1,105 statewide patients (with 97 hospitals reporting), the number rose to 1,160 when 2 more hospitals reported in. Today’s number is even higher still - 1,168 (based on 102 hospitals). I realize I let yesterday’s erroneous data get the better of me when I declared I was “downright optimistic”. Today, I feel no more than cautious optimism.
The big news today comes from the University of Alabama. According to the University’s student newspaper, The Crimson White, a number of students were tested after reportedly coming in contact with a person who later tested positive, and 29% of them were also positive. According to the University’s Vice-President for Student Life, after initial reentry testing revealed less than 1% positivity in the student body, subsequent on-campus testing has resulted in 4% to 5% positivity. In a hastily called meeting with student leaders, the administrator said that the 450 campus beds set aside for quarantining are on pace to being fully occupied in a week and a half.
Accordingly, the University has announced a 14-day moratorium on all in-person student activities as well as a ban on non-resident entry into fraternity and sorority houses, except in limited circumstances. The Tuscaloosa Police Dept and the UA Police will be conducting joint patrols and “elevated consequences” will be imposed on off-campus students who host or attend social activities that violate local mask and social distancing restrictions.
So ends the first three days of fall semester at our flagship university. So much work and careful planning went into the start of classes, and now this.
There will be no totals today.