Coronavirus: Miami University reports 132 new active cases on Oxford campus

OXFORD — (UPDATED @ 5:25 p.m.): Miami University is reporting 132 new active cases among students Wednesday on the Oxford campus, according to the university’s COVID-19 dashboard.

>> RELATED: UD, Miami fighting to stem tide of virus spread

As of Sept. 2, there are 704 active cases among students, up from 572 reported Tuesday, according to the university.

A student or employee testing positive for COVID-19 will need to separate themselves physically until medically cleared.

Anyone believed to have been in close contact with an infected individual will be contacted. In cases where the University is not made aware of a positive test result by a student or employee, those cases would not be included in these totals.

Wednesday’s report prompted the Butler County General Health District and Miami University officials to urge members of the campus community to be responsible and avoid parties and large gatherings during the Labor Day weekend.

The 704 confirmed COVID-19 cases are connected to on- and off-campus Miami students, with many tests still pending, BCGHD officials said. Miami is currently in an online-only instructional mode; most of these cases can be traced to off-campus gatherings that defied standards for both size of gathering, maintenance of social distancing, and mask wearing.

The rise in cases between Aug. 24 and Sept. 2 highlights the ease with which the virus is passed from person-to-person, county health officials said.

“Not all infected people show symptoms. Any of us could be spreaders of the disease without knowing it. Each of us has a role to play in slowing the spread and making things better,” county health Commissioner Jennifer Bailer said.

Gregory Crawford, Miami University president, said, “Our ability to begin move-in the week of September 14 and our in-person and hybrid classes on September 21 depends on our ability to stop the increasing spread of the virus.

“This means we must comply with all of the all of the Healthy Miami standards by wearing face masks, maintaining physical distancing, and avoiding large gatherings of 10 people or more. This weekend, we urge our students to be in full compliance with these standards and implore them not to be tempted to attend parties or other large gatherings,” he said.

Cox Media Group