Even before the school season started, there were reports that state health officials were worried about off-campus activities, specifically parties for the COVID-19 spread. “State health officials are warning Minnesotans as they are starting to see more people become relaxed with health guidelines. That could spell trouble as thousands of people come together for school in communities across the state.”

In the Hill blog, Morgan Gstalter writes: “A new analysis released on Friday by USA Today finds that college campuses are fueling the largest coronavirus outbreaks across the United States. Of the 25 hottest outbreaks in the U.S., communities with dominant colleges and thousands of recently returned students represent 19 of them.”

• ‘Astonishingly risky’: COVID-19 cases at colleges are fueling the nation’s hottest outbreaks
• Coronavirus on college campuses fueling nation’s largest outbreaks, analysis shows

According to the USA Today, “across the country, college students’ mounting coronavirus outbreaks have become an urgent public health issue. Of the 25 hottest outbreaks in the U.S., communities heavy with college students represent 19 of them”.

This scenario is one of the many reasons why reopening universities and bringing all students back to town for dorm living, socializing, parties and classroom teaching was an astonishingly risky strategy. These universities now risk spreading the virus nationwide.

Gavin Yamey, Professor at Duke University’s Global Health Institute (source: USA Today)

“But Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Dr. Deborah Birx, head of the White House coronavirus task force, both have said sending students home could further spread the virus”. From the USA To-day.

The CNN Writes: “Six students at Miami University in Ohio were cited for violating a city ordinance on mass gatherings after they held a house party despite at least one of them testing positive for Covid-19, according to police records”. The Michigan State University students were reportedly told to “self-quarantine immediately” to contain virus outbreak.