Winona State University imposes 14-day campus quarantine

Winona State University limited all non-essential activities on campus after enacting a two-week, self-imposed quarantine beginning September 8.

The decision following the Labor Day holiday weekend was an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, according to the Winona State University blog.

The news comes a few days after WSU said 97 students had tested positive for the virus.

It also comes as the University of Wisconsin-Madison is taking action to also slow the spread

“The university is not currently aware of any serious illness related to COVID-19 within the WSU community,” WSU President Scott R. Olson said. “However, we are seeing an increase in asymptomatic transmission, and we have a responsibility to our students, our employees, and to our community to respond accordingly. We recognize that the recent increase in cases is not only impacting our campus, but the entire Winona community.”

The self-imposed quarantine will reduce the number of people physically present on campus for the next two weeks. Courses with face-to-face instruction will either shift entirely online or require increased precautions to continue in-person instruction. All employees who do not need to be physically present on campus will shift to remote work, and individual campus facilities and other areas may impose additional restrictions as needed.

“We are hopeful that these actions will flatten the growth in numbers,” Olson said. “We will continue to monitor this evolving situation and take appropriate actions as needed.”

The WSU COVID-19 website has up-to-date details on how campus tours, facilities and events are being affected.