SALT LAKE CITY — BYU and the University of Utah have the second and third most reported Covid-19 cases on college campuses in the American West. Only the University of Washington in Seattle reports more, according to data gathered and published by the New York Times.
Some important context:
- Case numbers aren’t just students. In fact, not many students have been on campus for most of the pandemic.
- The University of Utah calculates it’s population of students, staff and faculty at about 62,000 people. A huge number that includes medical and other research facilities.
- BYU has more than 33,000 students and more than 5,000 staff and faculty.
- Most schools have self-reporting forms on their websites they ask students/staff/faculty to fill out to help track and trace the virus.
In other words, each University has the population of a medium-sized city.
BYU:
168 cases
54 active cases
Conducting targeted and random tests.
University of Utah:
155 cases
38 cases in the last 7 days
Tests required for students entering residence halls
Student testing center on campus and a phone number for questions: 801-587-0712
Utah State University
99 cases
14 students and 1 staff member with active cases
No testing on campus but ask students/staff/faculty to self-report quarantine and positive tests
Weber State University
32 cases
15 in the last two weeks
No testing on campus but ask students/staff/faculty to self-report quarantine and positive tests
Other Utah colleges and universities report much lower numbers. The New York Times compilation can be found here.
