Ten students test positive for COVID-19 at Colorado College; two dorms under quarantine, one released
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Colorado College officials revealed over the weekend that six additional students have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, bringing the total number to 10.
As a result, officials have placed two dormitories, South and Mathias halls, under a 14-day quarantine. A third dormitory, Loomis Hall, was placed on a similar quarantine Aug. 16 that expired Sunday after no further positive tests were reported.
The students who tested positive are in isolation, with some already being in quarantine. The college is providing care and support for them. A total of 438 students are affected.
Cole Pietsch, a freshman, is one of the students who was under quarantine in Loomis Hall.
"It was pretty interesting," he said. "It's not exactly what you'd expect for your initial college experience. We all felt comfortable doing it, though, and kind of hanging in there. I've been tested twice and I was negative."
According to a statement released Saturday, El Paso County Public Health and the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment strongly recommended the quarantine measures because of the multiple positive cases on campus.
Students in quarantine are receiving meals and daily check-ins and other support, and are continuing classes via remote learning. Those students also are allowed to spend short periods of supervised time outside.
The three dorms are designed for freshman students who arrived on campus before the rest of the student body. An estimated 2,500 students attend the campus just north of downtown.
Affected students must remain in their rooms -- alone or with roommates -- as well as avoid contact with others and limit travel. Students who live within a few hours of campus are allowed to be driven home by a family member or responsible adult and remain in quarantine there.
Those students also are allowed to remain quarantined with a family member in a local hotel or motel room.
The unspecified number of students in Loomis Hall were quarantined after being exposed to a student who tested positive.
Joseph Raiti, a junior, said he's confident that the quarantined students will follow protocols to contain the virus.
"There's a lot of uncertainty," he said. "But we're just college students. We're trying to do what we can. I live in campus housing with just 10 other people. We're taking it seriously. We wear masks, we can't have guests. It's a pandemic and this is what we have to do."
