JMU rents off-campus hotel rooms for isolation spaces

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By ASHLYN CAMPBELL this point, local hotels who have given the university contributing writer space for isolation or quarantine.”

JMU has rented blocks of rooms in local hotels in quarantined students only. an effort to expand quarantine and isolation beds She said JMU decided to expand into these local after a shortage of housing for sick students in early hotels as space on campus was finite, and once it September. reached capacity, it recognized it needed to add

Prior to sending on-campus residents home more space. Sept. 7 and forcing classes online, Caitlyn Read, Read said that JMU decided early on not to the university spokesperson and director of quarantine students in place, unlike many other communications, said that universities, though Read JMU had 140 quarantine didn’t mention any specific and isolation beds. schools. Since many students However, there were limitations on using that “We have been using had decided not to return to the residence halls, there’s isolation space, she said. “Now that doesn’t spaces on campus, we been an expansion on the ability of quarantine in place, necessarily mean we could Read said. isolate or quarantine 140 individuals at a time,” Read have been using spaces in “So for students who are alone in their rooms, have said. “Some of that space was dedicated for isolation, the community and local semi-private bathrooms … those students will be able to some of it was dedicated quarantine in place, should for quarantine, some of hotels. It does include at they have to.” Read said. it you had to consider There are 1,430 students where you were housing males and where you were least four, at this point, who’d be available to quarantine in place, creating housing females … so it was constantly a puzzle figuring local hotels who have over 2,000 isolation or quarantine spaces available, out how to get people into Read said. those spaces and maximize those spaces.” given the university Sarah Moulden, a freshman music education major, had to Read said that isolation space was reserved space for isolation or quarantine in her dorm after someone in her hall tested for those that’ve been positive early in September. diagnosed with COVID-19 quarantine.” “It was a little scary because and can be around others my roommate is potentially who’ve tested positive, while quarantine spaces Caitlyn Read high risk … but we were feeling fine, and the person are for possible cases that haven’t yet been JMU spokesperson and who tested positive was feeling fine,” Moulden said. “It diagnosed. director of communications was a little stressful at first and

At its last Board of Visitors scary; we were more nervous meeting, JMU announced for our friend.” that it began renting out blocks of rooms in local Despite living in a hall-style dorm with a shared 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 isolation space to 595 beds as of Sept. 23. spaces for students with more significant exposure

“We have been using spaces on campus, we have to COVID-19. been using spaces in the community and local Read said the hotels would be used for hotels,” Read said. “It does include at least four, at see CHECK IN, page 13

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