Students on the campus of the University of Wisconsin, Madison. (Photo by: Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Due to a recent upward trend in positivity rates and coronavirus cases, students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison will switch to remote learning for at least two weeks, effective immediately, and residents at two different dormitories will be required to quarantine during that time.
According to a notice published Wednesday by the school, all in-person learning for undergraduate, graduate, and professional students will be moved to remote learning from Sept. 10 to the 25. Classes will be canceled between Thursday and Saturday, with learning resuming in an online format on Monday.
In addition, all residents at Sellery and Witte Residence Halls will be ordered to quarantine in place for the next two weeks, effective at 10 p.m. Wednesday night. All residents of those halls who have not been tested this week will be required to take coronavirus tests in the next two days.
All university libraries, the Wisconsin Union, and other academic buildings are all ordered closed.
The school is urging students who live in the area to remain in the Madison-area, as CDC guidance urges students not to travel home for remote learning purposes during COVID-19 outbreaks.
According to Chancellor Rebecca Blank, the positivity rate on coronavirus tests has exceeded 20% each of the last two days, and officials have seen a rapid increase in cases among students living off campus and on campus.
“We will not contain this spread without significant additional action,” Blank said in a statement.
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The decision to move to online learning was reached in consultation with numerous agencies and officials, including Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers.
