Students Team Up in a Temporary Online Format as COVID-19 Cases Rise Across Campus

Students will enter a campus-wide quarantine from Aug. 30 until Sept. 10 as a part of Liberty’s temporary mitigation plan in response to increased COVID-19 rates, the Office of the President announced on Aug. 26. 

The university will move all residential classes online, suspend any large indoor events and offer take out dining options during this period. 

The temporary mitigation plan comes in conjunction with Liberty’s continued monitoring of COVID-19 rates on campus and in the community and local hospital capacities. With these changes, the university hopes to help slow the spread of the virus on campus and in the community. 

“We are taking the necessary steps and actions to lighten the burden to our medical service providers, the local hospital resources, and to do our part to keep our community safe,” Keith Anderson, executive director of Liberty’s Student Health Center & Wellness Initiatives, said. “We understand the severity of the pandemic and desire to act swiftly to ensure the health and safety of our campus.” 

Last year’s COVID-19 response is guiding the transition as Liberty continues to promote wearing masks, social distancing and other proper social hygiene practices, as well as improve quarantine capacities. 

“Through collective collaboration with our on-campus partners, Central Virginia Family Physicians (CVFP), and our Liberty University Health & Wellness professionals, we are attending to our asymptomatic and symptomatic campus members as quickly and thoroughly as possible,” Anderson said. 

Convocation and Campus Community will be held in Williams Stadium, and the football game against Campbell will still take place on Sept. 4. 

For more information and updates about Liberty’s response to COVID-19, go to: https://www.liberty.edu/coronavirus/. 

Jacqueline Hale is the Editor-in-Chief. Follow her on Twitter at @HaleJacquelineR.