Coronavirus Spike At Penn State Alarms Top PA Health Officials

CENTRE COUNTY, PA — A spike in cases in Centre County — home to Penn State University's main campus — has prompted concern among Pennsylvania's top health officials.

The state said Friday it plans to increase testing in Centre County due to a "rapid rise in COVID-19 cases." Starting Sept. 25, testing clinics will be held at the Nittany Mall.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health said it is working "closely" with Centre County to contain the spike in cases. Cases there have increased by 1,109 in September — a "significant cause for concern,” Secretary of Health Rachel Levine said.

“These testing sites will be open to anyone who feels they need a test. It is important that even people with no symptoms who test positive isolate and quarantine to stop the spread of COVID-19.”

Penn State University has reported a total of 1,371 cases among University Park students. Of those, 656 are no longer considered "active" cases. There are more than 140 students in isolation due to the virus.

Last week, 320 students at the University Park campus tested positive through random testing and on-demand testing. The week before, more than 650 students tested positive.

“We know that congregation, especially in college and university settings, yields increased case counts. The mitigation efforts in place now are essential to flattening the curve and saving lives,” Levine said Friday.

More than 17,000 Penn State students from areas with a high prevalence of coronavirus had mandatory pre-arrival tests before classes resumed in late August.

Penn State has created a dashboard that shows the number of positive cases by week.

Meanwhile, the university is preparing for the start of football season after the announcement that the Big Ten will return to competition in October. Strict rules will be in place ahead of the sporting events, officials said.

"Penn State will absolutely not permit any tailgating in or around the stadium, or on campus.  The University plans to work closely with area law enforcement to support existing municipal ordinances that limit gatherings and require wearing a face mask.," the university said.

Pennsylvania reported 760 additional new COVID-19 cases Friday, bringing the statewide total to 148,683. Also Friday, 21 new deaths were reported, bringing the state's total to 7,934.