Towson shifts to online following an increase in positive COVID-19 results
The shift is slated to last for the remainder of the semester.
By ZACHARY KEYSERTowson University(photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Baltimore County, Maryland's Towson University has gone back to online learning following an increase in positive COVID-19 results during PCR testing rounds conducted at the university health center, according to CBS Baltimore.The health center reported 55 positive COVID-19 results out of 627 tested (8.8%), the university said on Saturday. It wasn't clear if those tested were students or not, however, Towson noted those who tested positive are currently not on campus, considering the tests are a screen to allow access to campus activities upon a negative reading.The shift is slated to last for the remainder of the semester."On Aug. 26, TU announced it was pivoting all classes to a remote learning format for the remainder of the fall 2020 term, due to an increase in positive COVID-19 test results," Towson said on their website. "The shift in course delivery and the ensuing move of many residential students off-campus are combined in an effort to lower density of individuals on campus."Over the weekend, the school's health center ran another round of testing which revealed 66 positive COVID-19 results, 62 of those positives were students."As president of Towson University, my greatest priority and responsibility is to protect the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff. The events of the last few days are a reminder of the unpredictable nature of the virus," Towson University President Kim Schatzel said in a letter to students and campus personnel.Schatzel added the positive readings are not a indication of an outbreak as the students were not connected to one another in any way - living in separate buildings with separate social groups.
