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The Breeze
By ASHLYN CAMPBELL contributing writer
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“We have been using spaces on campus, we have been using spaces in the community and local hotels. It does include at least four, at this point, local hotels who have given the university space for isolation or quarantine.”
breezejmu.org Thursday, October 1, 2020
this point, local hotels who have given the university space for isolation or quarantine.” Read said the hotels would be used for JMU has rented blocks of rooms in local hotels in quarantined students only. She said JMU decided to expand into these local an effort to expand quarantine and isolation beds after a shortage of housing for sick students in early hotels as space on campus was finite, and once it reached capacity, it recognized it needed to add September. Prior to sending on-campus residents home more space. Read said that JMU decided early on not to Sept. 7 and forcing classes online, Caitlyn Read, the university spokesperson and director of quarantine students in place, unlike many other universities, though Read communications, said that didn’t mention any specific JMU had 140 quarantine schools. Since many students and isolation beds. had decided not to return to However, there were the residence halls, there’s limitations on using that been an expansion on the isolation space, she said. ability of quarantine in place, “Now that doesn’t Read said. necessarily mean we could “So for students who are isolate or quarantine 140 alone in their rooms, have individuals at a time,” Read semi-private bathrooms … said. “Some of that space those students will be able to was dedicated for isolation, quarantine in place, should some of it was dedicated they have to.” Read said. for quarantine, some of There are 1,430 students it you had to consider who’d be available to where you were housing quarantine in place, creating males and where you were over 2,000 isolation or housing females … so it was quarantine spaces available, constantly a puzzle figuring Read said. out how to get people into Sarah Moulden, a freshman those spaces and maximize music education major, had to those spaces.” quarantine in her dorm after Read said that isolation someone in her hall tested space was reserved positive early in September. for those that’ve been “It was a little scary because diagnosed with COVID-19 my roommate is potentially and can be around others high risk … but we were who’ve tested positive, Caitlyn Read feeling fine, and the person while quarantine spaces who tested positive was are for possible cases JMU spokesperson and feeling fine,” Moulden said. “It that haven’t yet been was a little stressful at first and diagnosed. director of communications scary; we were more nervous At its last Board of Visitors for our friend.” meeting, JMU announced Despite living in a hall-style dorm with a shared that it began renting out blocks of rooms in local hotels for student quarantine space, including bathroom, Moulden said that since they weren’t the Sleep Inn on Evelyn Byrd Avenue. Read said experiencing severe symptoms, the university that JMU has since expanded its quarantine and recommended quarantining in place to save those spaces for students with more significant exposure isolation space to 595 beds as of Sept. 23. “We have been using spaces on campus, we have to COVID-19. been using spaces in the community and local hotels,” Read said. “It does include at least four, at see CHECK IN, page 13
Read said that the hotels will only be used for quarantined students. Photo by Connor Murphy | The Breeze
