COVID cases surge in Wayne County and across US, College of Wooster tightens protocols

Bryce Buyakie, The Daily Record
·2 min read
A COVID-19 outbreak is in its fourth week on the College of Wooster campus with a total of around 106 new cases, mostly among the student body, according to the college's COVID dashboard.
A COVID-19 outbreak is in its fourth week on the College of Wooster campus with a total of around 106 new cases, mostly among the student body, according to the college's COVID dashboard.

WOOSTER – As final exam week wraps up, new coronavirus cases remain high at the College of Wooster while cases continue to rise across the U.S., causing the administration to rethink its masking policies.

In a three-day period this week from Monday to Wednesday, 36 new cases were reported among students, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Myrna Hernández told the campus community in an email.

COVID is still here: COVID-19 cases rise as College of Wooster students wrap up spring semester

Most cases are recorded in five to six-day intervals by the college, meaning new cases could appear by the end of the week increasing this number.

The outbreak is in its fourth week with a total of around 106 new cases, mostly among the student body, according to the college's COVID dashboard.

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The college re-implemented a mask policy earlier this month, and following the three dozen new cases this week, Hernández said, those policies were amended.

"Because of our high vaccination rate on campus, most students who have tested positive, are experiencing mild to moderate cold and flu-like symptoms," she said.

Revised mask policies

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Made with Flourish

The new guidelines are more strict for students.

Hernández said zero cases were transmitted through the classroom since the start of the pandemic, and as a safety net, anyone taking in-person exams must mask up.

In-place isolation is also back after the college consulted with the Wayne County Health Department, she said.

Students told to isolate themselves in place must be masked in residence halls unless showering or brushing teeth, she said. They must remain in their rooms unless using the restroom or retrieving food.

"Again, many of our peers have been using these protocols successfully for the entire semester," Hernández said.

COVID-19 in Wayne and Holmes counties

COVID-19 cases continue to rise throughout Wayne County with 77 new cases in the first week of May, according to the county health department
COVID-19 cases continue to rise throughout Wayne County with 77 new cases in the first week of May, according to the county health department

As with the college, COVID-19 cases continue to rise throughout Wayne County with 77 new cases in the first week of May, according to the county health department.

This is up from 50 the last week of April and 40 new cases the week before.

Two new hospitalizations were reported between May 1 and May 5, up from one the previous week.

No new deaths have been reported since mid-April, according to the health department.

In Ashland County, 87 new cases were reported since April 16, according to the Ohio Department of Health. Around 16 cases were reported since April 18 in Holmes County.

This upward trend follows the national curve, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly 1.4 million new cases were reported by the CDC since April 16.

Reach Bryce by email at bbuyakie@gannett.com

On Twitter: @Bryce_Buyakie

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: COVID cases surge in Wayne, College of Wooster tightens protocols