Franklin College set a record last week when 48 students tested positive for COVID-19, but college officials say they will not alter plans for in-person learning in the days before Thanksgiving break.
Franklin College on Friday announced all students will learn virtually after the holiday break, from Nov. 30 through the end of the semester.
Last week’s figure was almost triple the previous high of 17 cases the week of Oct. 5 to 11, according to data from Franklin College’s dashboard. With Thanksgiving break just days away, 50 students who have developed symptoms are in isolation, and 71 students are in quarantine due to exposure to a positive COVID-19 case, meaning about 12% of the student body cannot attend class in person this week, said Andrew Jones, the college’s vice president for student development and dean of students.
About 405 students, faculty and staff members were tested last week, double the number of students who are randomly tested every other week, because of exit testing in advance of Thanksgiving break. Of those tested on campus, 43, or 10.6%, were positive, Jones said.
The college’s positivity rate is slightly lower than that of Johnson County’s at 11.1%, and the decision to move online after Thanksgiving is to have all students attending classes the same way during final exams and projects, rather than due to an increase in cases.
Also, the Johnson County Health Department has not advised Franklin College students, faculty and staff to vacate the campus, he said.
