Employee at Kent State University being tested for COVID-19
This scanning electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2 (yellow)—also known as 2019-nCoV, the virus that causes COVID-19—isolated from a patient in the U.S., emerging from the surface of cells (blue/pink) cultured in the lab.
Kent State University announced an employee has been in close contact with a person who tested positive for coronavirus. The employee will remain in isolation for 14 days and is being tested.
The employee performed maintenance work in three residence halls: Fletcher, Lake and Olson.
The employee also worked in other university buildings: Center for the Visual Arts, Center for Undergraduate Excellence (CUE), Heer Hall, Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center (MACC), MACC Annex, Schwartz Center, Taylor Hall, Williams Hall.
All the buildings are being deep cleaned today in accordance with the Ohio Department of Health. They will be open tomorrow.
Kent State is requiring all students living in residence halls on campus to check out of their rooms by 5 p.m. on March 20. If they are unable to return to their permanent residence, students can submit a permission to stay request.
Students who check out of their rooms will be able to be refunded, but Kent State has not released details about how much students will be refunded.
If students are unable to remove their belongings from their rooms before March 20, they are able to move out after March 20 if they contact their residence hall. However, students will not have access to their residence halls after March 20.
Contact Madison MacArthur at [email protected], Lauren Sasala at [email protected] and Molly Heideman at [email protected].