University of Texas at Arlington student confirmed to have COVID-19
A student at the University of Texas at Arlington was confirmed to have COVID-19, the university’s President Vistasp Karbhari announced in an email Saturday.
Karbhari said UTA is working with Tarrant County health officials to identify individuals who may have come in contact with the student. In an email Sunday updating students, faculty and staff, Karbhari said those who had come into contact with the student have been placed in self isolation as a precaution, and will receive daily check-ins from Tarrant County health officials.
“Our facilities staff have already disinfected specific areas of concern and will be routinely doing this across campus as part of our efforts to ensure the wellness of our community,” Karbhari wrote in the email Sunday.
In response to questions online, such as if the student had been living on-campus or not, UTA tweeted it would not provide identifying information.
It was unclear Saturday morning if the confirmed case was a new case of coronavirus in Tarrant County or related to one of three previously announced by local officials in recent days. As of Saturday afternoon, the Texas Department of State Health Services’ website — which updates statewide case counts daily by noon — still reported only three COVID-19 cases in Tarrant County.
In an email Saturday, UTA spokesman Jeff Carlton said questions about whether the case was related to previous ones locally should be directed to the county. The Tarrant County Public Health Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday morning seeking more details.
In late February, UTA had required three students who recently returned from a study abroad trip to South Korea to quarantine themselves for at least 14 days. At the time, the three students had been showing no symptoms and would be required to be cleared by a health professional before returning to campus. Carlton declined to answer a question if Saturday’s confirmed case was related to the students who had been required to self-quarantine.
Saturday’s case comes just days after UTA announced Thursday that it would extend spring break by an extra week and that classes would be held online once they resume March 23 to facilitate social distancing.
When asked about the university’s next steps, Carlton pointed to UTA’s extended spring break, online classes and more measures it was taking.
“All campus tours, events and activities have been canceled through at least April 6. In order to maximize social distancing for as many as possible, the university will also be implementing a telecommuting plan for many faculty and staff,” Carlton wrote.
Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams declared a state of local disaster Friday, joining Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price and Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley in their declarations. Their announcements came on the heels of Gov. Greg Abbott’s declaration of a state of emergency for Texas.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
This story was originally published March 14, 2020 at 9:35 AM.
