Holy Cross Locks Down Campus Amid Coronavirus Spike

WORCESTER, MA — Holy Cross students will be in fully remote classes with no gathering with anyone inside or outside other than their roommates until at least Wednesday after a coronavirus surge on campus.

Officials said there were more than 40 new COVID-19 cases among students in the past week, causing more than 130 students to be placed in quarantine, as virus cases surged to a level "worse than any we have seen all semester, and they require some action."

The campus lockdown went into effect Friday night.

All athletic competitions and practices are canceled with athletic facilities closed, libraries and study spaces closed, dining switching to grab-and-go only and senior portraits scheduled for next week postponed until next month.

Sunday service will also be live-streamed instead of celebrated in person.

School officials cited "outdoor gatherings" as the major driver of recent cases and said students are reporting more serious symptoms than in previous outbreaks.

"Contact tracing tells us that the vast majority of spread of these cases is coming from outdoor gatherings, with a smaller amount from Easter Break travel," the school said in a letter to the campus community. "To be clear, any student gatherings — inside or outside, on-campus or off — will lead to serious consequences.

"We cannot allow the actions of a few to ruin things for the many."

Off-campus students are prohibited from school grounds until Wednesday except for coronavirus testing, health services or food pickup. The school said all students will be required to be COVID-tested on Monday or Tuesday — except those in the 90-day coronavirus recovery window.

Officials said the lockdown status will be re-evaluated on Wednesday.

"We understand the impulse to be outside as the weather gets warmer and this is a good idea," officials said. "But just being outdoors does not guarantee immunity and no transmission. You must still wear a mask and keep appropriate distance from others.

"Across campus, we've seen people in general letting their guards down; gathering in larger numbers, not wearing masks, staying too close together. This must change if we want to remain together through commencement."

Officials said they believe cases are recently spreading with more casual contact with more severe symptoms than past surges.

"We believe we are seeing the effects of the more-contagious COVID variants," they said. "We've noticed more close contacts converting to positive cases than earlier in the year. More students who test positive are also reporting more serious symptoms than in the past.

"In short, we do not want more members of the community to become infected, and these trends make clear that this is not the time to relax."