FGCU continues to work on COVID-19 plan as cases emerge

Florida Gulf Coast University is changing the way it alerts you to COVID-19 cases on campus.

Instead of email, the school will be posting positive cases on the Protect the Nest webpage.

Only a few days into the semester and the university has reported that some students and faculty have tested positive for the virus. This comes as schools across the country are starting to see large clusters of cases emerge.

Now, students have concerns.

“I’ve just been very cautious about it; the changes are a lot but I know it’s for our safety,” said Carmide Arle.

While some students at FGCU are being extra cautious, others are a little more relaxed about the virus.

“I think I’m pretty good because most of my classes are online,” said Alex Corporan. “There are four classes but three of them are online.”

Schools like the University of North Carolina, Notre Dame and Michigan State have shifted to remote learning because of clusters of cases.

That’s something student Celina Gonzalez worries could happen at FGCU.

“I am actually a little scared. Everyone’s been decorating their dorms and I haven’t really decorated mine at all because I’m waiting a month because if we’re going to be sent home… Why am I going to get my dorm all pretty?” she said.

“There are so many kids on campus, one of them is bound to get it at some point.”

When asked about the COVID-19 cases other universities are seeing, FGCU said they have an app for students and employees, and in a written statement, the school said, “This information is used by our campus case management system to support anyone who tests positive for COVID-19…while also connecting the dots to prevent community spread.”

So far, FGCU hasn’t had campus-related clusters of cases like other schools, and they said they’re working hard to keep it that way.