FSU reports spike in students testing positive as party pictures circulate on social media

The number of Florida State University students testing positive for COVID-19 showed a marked increase in the past week.

Figures released Tuesday show more than 700 Florida State University students tested positive in the past week, compared to the previous week.

The latest figures show 839 students and 14 employees testing positive. The university pointed to an overall positivity rate of 7.32% for cases collected since Aug. 2. That rate includes data from before many FSU students arrived for the first day of class on Aug. 24.

The university told the Democrat for the week beginning Aug. 29 through Sept. 4, 3,429 total tests were performed at the Donald L. Tucker Center, and 724 individuals tested positive.

"The positivity rate for that period was 21.1 percent," the university said in an email.

Since Aug. 2, 11,653 people have been tested at FSU for COVID-19. Last week’s number indicated that in the period of Aug. 2-30, 8,224 people were tested at the campus. Of those, 123 students and six employees tested positive.

More:Stay Healthy FSU - Aligned with Florida Board of Governors Re-opening Blueprint

This means 716 more students have tested positive in the last week, in addition to eight more employees.

The spike in positive tests at FSU comes as Leon County was recently listed as a hotspot, having been on The New York Times' online map of coronavirus cases. The vast majority of new cases have been in the school- and college-age group.

Florida State University administrators said they are aware of the increase of positive cases in the campus and local communities and continue to work closely with public health officials to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. 

“Florida State does not plan a shift to remote instruction at this time. If a decision is made to transition to all remote instruction in the future, the university will notify the community,” the university said in response to questions. “The current increase in cases was not unexpected as it correlates to the marked increase in voluntary testing of the campus community during the first two weeks of the fall semester.”

The university's statement said it has seen "no significant challenges related to on-campus housing at this time," and that it has capacity to continue to isolate on-campus residential students who are positive in designated isolation housing located on and off campus. 

Off-campus parties raise concerns

FSU student Lillie Brody described the spike in student numbers as “horrifying.”

Brody, who recently moved into the Catalyst student housing complex on Madison Street, took video and photos of 100-200 people crowding the pool area at the complex Monday afternoon.

Nobody appeared to be wearing masks or observing social distancing. Her video was later shared by friends on Twitter.

“It was very loud and a lot of people,” said Brody, a theater and psychology major. “There were zero masks and clumps of people I guess trying to forget it’s a pandemic.”

Brody said the same scene has played out before at Catalyst with management breaking up the crowds, but that wasn’t the case on Labor Day.

“I was just struck by the carelessness and the lack of concern about how it’s going to affect the greater Tallahassee community," she added. 

Christine Garrison, general counsel for University Communities, which operates Catalyst, said the company is aware of the Labor Day gathering. She said the pool is currently limited to residents only, with a maximum of 25 people at any given time, and only during leasing office operating hours.

“Unidentified individuals vandalized the pool entrance and office entrance to gain access, and the gathering was ultimately ended when security hired by property management required all attendees to leave,” Garrison said in an email.

She said property management is working to identify all individuals involved in the incident and will take all steps necessary to enforce the rules and regulations for the residential community “and will involve law enforcement as needed.”

The Catalyst gathering wasn’t the only large gathering in the city, however. 

Brody’s friend Griffin Leckie also shared photos from a separate large pool gathering at Stadium Enclave depicting a similar scene of people crowding the pool area Saturday and not wearing masks.

Leckie said he was struck by the fact that such actions will be a detriment on Tallahassee’s 32304 zip code area – one of the poorest in the state - which includes Florida State University.

“Parties like that would be a big strain on the local health system,” said Leckie, an international affairs major who serves as Senate Judiciary chair for the FSU Student Senate.

“It’s unfortunate to see students put their own health and the health of the community at risk.”

The manager for Stadium Enclave and Urban Enclave said residents of both complexes have been issued strict policies about COVID-19 related standards.

Only residents may use the pool, with groups restricted to no more than 10 residents and no guests. In addition, weekend security personnel will monitor the pool area and enforce the rules, she said.

“As the number of students increased over Labor Day weekend, we did reach out to TPD for assistance, but no one responded to help assist in the removal of non-residents/guests from pool,” she said in an email.

Management now is in the process of implementing a reservation system where students will be required to reserve time at the pool.

More:Coronavirus: Leon County a hotspot on New York Times map; LCS reports more student, staff cases

Related:Coronavirus: Another death in Jackson County, a virus hotspot

Contact senior writer Byron Dobson at bdobson@tallahassee.com or on Twitter @byrondobson.

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