UW-Madison moves to all-online classes amid growing COVID-19 case count | Higher education

The announcement stops short of sending home students who live in the dorms, an action Dane County Executive Joe Parisi urged UW-Madison on Wednesday to take.

UW-Madison said it doesn’t believe such a step is warranted at this time and University of Wisconsin System spokesman Mark Pitsch said sending students back home is “not a wise solution,” considering the quarantine space and other support available on campus.

Public health experts, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, have said sending students home is “one of the worst things” to do when a campus faces COVID-19 outbreaks.

While university testing data show more than double the number of cases came from students who live off-campus compared to those in dorms over the past week, Blank said the latest numbers also show a sharp increase in cases at two residence halls.

That’s why she ordered the 2,230 residents living in Sellery Hall and Witte Hall to quarantine for 14 days, starting at 10 p.m. Wednesday. 

Freshman Nick Larsen, who moved into Witte Hall on Aug. 31, said the news left him “kind of shattered” but with some hope still.

“It’s heartbreaking entering into a life that you’ve been looking forward to for years then having your first semester, and hopefully only semester, torn away from you,” he said. “I don’t feel great about it now, but I’m trying to stay hopeful.”