Illinois colleges demanding more from students as COVID-19 cases increase on campuses
CHICAGO - Illinois colleges are trying to crack down on parties and lock down students as COVID-19 cases increase across the state.
Both the governor and university leaders are demanding more from college students.
The president of Illinois State University says that Youtube celebrities, the Nelk Boys, drew a crowd of 70 plus off-campus overnight.
“It really gives me no joy to convey my great disappointment and the actions of those who gathered,” said ISU president, Larry Dietz.
ISU is asking all students to sign a “Red Bird pledge” and follow the school and state’s COVID-19 guidelines.
Those who do not follow the guidelines may face serious consequences.
“Interim suspensions or possible suspensions or possible interruptions in the students plan to be here are all possible, and so we take this very, very seriously,” said Dietz
At Bradley University in Peoria, all students now have to quarantine for two weeks, and switch to remote learning.
Gov. Pritzker says any college student in quarantine should not go home to mom and dad.
“They should quarantine in place, sending them home - it has the potential to add to the numbers of people who contract COVID-19,” said Gov. Pritzker.
Gov. Pritzer says Illinois now has the third highest testing rate in the country, and that testing is hugely important for college campuses.
“If you have a six or seven percent positivity rate, that means that when you walk into a room of 100 people, there are going to be six people in that room who are mixing and mingling who have it,” said Gov. Pritzker.
The positivity rate currently at ISU is close to 14 percent.