University of Iowa COVID cases top 1,800

The University of Iowa on Monday added another 76 self-reported cases of COVID-19 since Friday - bringing its campus total less than a month into the fall semester to 1,831.

That total includes mostly students - with 72 new cases for 1,804 so far. The campus is reporting another four new employee cases since Friday for 27 total since Aug. 18.

The campus - like Iowa State University and University of Northern Iowa - is offering space in its residence halls for COVID-positive students or those who've been in contact with positive cases. And UI on Monday reported 30 residence hall students are in isolation and just two are in quarantine - required for those identified as possible carriers through contact tracing efforts.

UNI on Monday also updated its COVID-19 case tallies to 135 identified through its Student Health Center - numbers it is not breaking down by students and employees. UNI also is newly sharing 'self-reported” COVID-19 cases, which could include those discovered at off-site clinics or testing sites.

It's had 46 since Sept. 1 - although officials warn against adding those to the Student Health total, as some might be cross-reported.

Iowa State University typically updates its COVID-19 data dashboard on Mondays, although it hadn't yet done so at 5:30 p.m.

As of Sept. 7, Iowa State was reporting a total 1,475 COVID cases - including the 175 students who tested positive during mandatory residence hall move-in checks in August.

Stressing that many employees and students who don't want to go into the classroom have other options, UI officials Monday released numbers of employees and students who have applied for and received approval for alternative learning and working arrangements.

Of the 482 UI faculty, staff, graduate assistants, fellows, and student employees have asked for alternative work arrangements, 469 have been approved, 12 are pending, and one has been withdrawn;

'Some collegiate units continue to process requests and will be notifying individual employees as soon as possible,” according to a UI campus message.

Of the 352 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students who have asked for alternative learning arrangements due to CDC-identified conditions at higher risk from COVID-19, all have been approved.

'In addition, 369 students have requested alternative arrangements not related to CDC-identified conditions, which are being handled at the collegiate level,” according to the UI message.

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