HOLLAND, Mich — Hope College confirmed with 13 ON YOUR SIDE that some students have tested positive for COVID-19.
The news comes just one day after the start of classes -- which started early in hopes of limiting the impact of the virus on the campus by rearranging scheduled breaks.
A Hope spokesperson said that the college discovered the positive cases while doing routine back-to-school screenings and wants to assure members of this community to not be concerned.
Hope is testing all employees and students before returning to campus for the semester. To date, that's nearly 3,900 COVID-19 tests.
Hope says the majority of positive cases were in students who hadn't gotten to campus yet -- and they are isolating at home. There are fewer than five student cases on campus. The students with COVID-19 are quarantined in housing specifically set aside for isolation.
Hope College is continuing to test all students, faculty and staff prior to the start of classes to establish a baseline presence of zero cases of COVID-19 in the classroom. It is testing 1% of students every day. As well as conducting tests multiple times each week of wastewater collected from residential areas on campus.
Previously, Hope said it would also be reducing capacity in classrooms and residents halls, offering a mix of in-person and online class formats, and requiring students and staff to wear face masks and practice social distancing.
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