Hillsdale College has confirmed a total of 50 positive COVID-19 cases this semester as of Wednesday, an increase from the 31 total cases this semester reported last week.
As of Wednesday morning, 55 individuals were in contact isolation. Of those, 14 await test results after exhibiting symptoms and 20 have tested positive.
The increase in cases comes as the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services extended the state’s emergency orders on Oct. 29 to contain the spread of COVID-19.
“Michigan presently has 172 cases per million people and positivity of tests has increased from about 2% to 5.5% and both indicators have been increasing for over four weeks,” according to MDHHS.
Part of the new orders include reducing the maximum size for indoor gatherings from 500 people to 50 people, requiring bars and restaurants to record the names and telephone numbers of customers for contact tracing, and restricting indoor party sizes at a single table to six people.
The new restrictions already have presented challenges for Hillsdale gatherings.
Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM students had been planning an election watch party on Tuesday evening in the Searle Center featuring live radio coverage, big-screen video projections, and food, open to the whole campus. The event had to be restricted to 50 students, rather than 150, at the last minute.
“In consultation with the deans, we determined that adding the 50-person limit and shifting the layout of the room was the best and safest way to move forward,” Station Manager Scot Bertram said. “This was in addition to plans already in place to temperature-check everyone entering the room and to have designated servers for the available food.”
The hosts adapted, creating an overflow tent in the quad where students could sit, eat, and listen to the broadcast.
Hillsdale’s Student Activities Board must also adjust to new guidelines. SAB Director Zane Mabry said capacity limits and food service are two of the biggest challenges SAB faces for the rest of the year, especially with events like the Thanksgiving Dinner coming up.
“Bon Appetit gave us numbers and they said they can’t cater past this number of people and that was heavily affected by the new order,” Mabry said. “We’re actually still working with them to figure out what we can and can’t do.”
Mabry and his team have adjusted to the plethora of other regulations released by the MDHHS. He said he doesn’t anticipate retraction of any of the orders but promised that SAB will do its best to adapt to changes while maintaining its normal schedule.
“We are planning on having Day of Thanks and Thanksgiving Dinner still, but of course things can change,” Mabry said. “But as of right now, the plan is to still have these events.”
