Weeks after students began demanding information regarding on-campus cases of COVID-19, the Piedmont College COVID-19 taskforce released a statement confirming seven residential student cases of COVID-19, eight commuter cases, and four staff cases. Currently, there are no reports of faculty cases at Piedmont.
The college says that all those who tested positive have quarantined and followed Piedmont’s health protocols. Some of these students have returned to in-person classes.
“While other colleges and universities are grappling with shutdowns and soaring COVID-19 cases, the impact of the virus on the Piedmont campuses has been minimal,” the COVID-19 Task Force says in an email to Piedmont college students, faculty and staff.
The residential students who have tested positive make up less than one percent of Piedmont’s on-campus body, where masks are required in all buildings, as well as outdoor spaces where social distancing cannot be observed. The college now also offers opt-in contact tracing in common spaces through QR codes and the Piedmont App. “Clearly, Piedmont is not immune to coronavirus,” the COVID-19 Task Force says. “But your collective spirit and cooperation are making a positive impact during a time when most of the news coming from campuses is negative.”
The college has asked students to continue to follow Piedmont’s safety protocols as many leave campus for the long weekend, though the college has encouraged students to only leave Habersham county when necessary for medical and legal reasons or extenuating emergencies.
“Please enjoy your long weekend,” the task force says. “But continue to practice our safety protocols so that we can experience the successful completion of the fall semester in person,”
