The Outbreak Next Door
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Concordia University Irvine issued a campus update on November 21st announcing a wide scale outbreak of COVID-19 among students and staff. As of Saturday, November 21st, there were 65 active cases on campus. The university’s COVID-19 Dashboard currently states that the majority of positive cases are awaiting results from secondary testing to confirm positive status. The Vine connected with University President Michael Thomas to discuss what Concordia is doing to stop the spread and protect its neighbors.
The Vine: Has contact tracing uncovered any activities or events that caused this outbreak?
President Thomas: To protect families, Concordia University Irvine (CUI) administrators took proactive measures recently by testing students—who live on campus—before they return to their families over Thanksgiving break. These tests, not prompted by symptomatic individuals, were out of the abundance of caution in order to protect families. This additional testing, on top of routine testing, explains the spike in positive cases. Positive cases seem to be related to friend-group and roommate-groups.
The Vine: What were Concordia’s campus rules regarding COVID safety prior to the outbreak? Were you routinely testing students and/or staff before the outbreak?
President Thomas: Since March, CUI has been implementing COVID-19 guidelines in compliance with County and State restrictions in order to protect students and employees. Examples include mandatory face coverings and social distancing, while large indoor gathering spaces (e.g. dining hall, recreation center, student lounges, etc.) have been closed during fall semester. Prior to the outbreak, students were tested routinely in accordance with all guidelines.
The Vine: How will this outbreak change the university’s approach to mitigating viral transmission?
President Thomas: CUI will continue to follow all mandates from the county and state, including mandatory face coverings and social distancing, as well as monitor symptom-tracking data. Large indoor spaces on campus are closed, and students will not be allowed to visit room-to-room in the residence halls for the foreseeable future.
The Vine: What is being done to protect Concordia’s neighbors and the Irvine community?
President Thomas: All students and staff who have tested positive are currently in isolation. Individuals who have been in close contact to individuals who have tested positive are in quarantine. While face coverings and social distancing are mandatory on campus, students are encouraged to limit their trips off campus for food or shopping. In addition, they’re continually reminded through communication campaigns about COVID-19 safety measures emphasizing care and concern for their community both on and off campus.
The Vine: What has the city of Irvine done to support Concordia in controlling cases? Is there anything the city can do to help the university in handling the current outbreak?
President Thomas: Concordia Irvine has always enjoyed a good relationship with City of Irvine staff, elected officials, and the police department. A helpful resource has been the Emergency Preparedness Interagency Collaborative (EPIC) led by IUSD to help first responders and communication professionals in Irvine stay connected.
The Vine: How long does the university plan to hold classes online?
President Thomas: All lecture courses will immediately return online through the end of the Fall semester. As long as Orange County continues in the most restrictive tier—purple—classes will be online, with the exception of courses such as Nursing labs which are deemed essential. University officials will reconsider the status of in-person and online classes when the county returns to a less restrictive tier.
The Vine: Has Concordia considered making the post-Thanksgiving COVID testing mandatory?
President Thomas: We are still reviewing the possibility of making testing mandatory for returning students after Thanksgiving break.
For updated results on additional testing and cases, see the CUI COVID-19 Dashboard.