Liberty University announced a campus-wide quarantine this past week after the campus saw a massive surge.
According to Liberty officials, the campus will begin its quarantine on Monday and stay quarantined until September 10. This temporary quarantine is due to an estimated 159 cases on campus, among a population of 15,000 students and 5,000 staff. At least 124 of said cases are among students, right as the new 2021 term starts. This change in infections is a stark increase among the campus residents considering that the school only counted 40 cases on campus.
Unlike many of its compatriots, Liberty does not require students to receive vaccinations before coming to campus but does encourage masking and social distancing. However, students in attendance report that many of these protocols are not enforced. "Nobody really wears a mask. Social distancing hasn't been enforced whatsoever. Classrooms are at full capacity," one student told ABC13 News in Lynchburg, Virginia.
When asked about the rising number of cases on campus, Dr Michael Elliot, Senior Vice President, and Chief Transformation Officer claimed that said numbers should be expected to rise considering the recent influx of students on campus and would be consistent across all campuses.
The quarantine in question pushed many classes onto an online platform. However, it will not affect any planned outdoor programming or the school's worship services.
