KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Pittsburg State University has suspended intercollegiate athletics and extracurricular activities as COVID-19 cases rise in Crawford County.
The Bryant Student Health Center at the university reported 15 positive COVID-19 tests out of the 39 it has conducted since classes resumed on Aug. 17, according to a news release on the PSU website.
Additionally, 34 students are being monitored after testing positive, and 70 are quarantined due to close contact with positive cases, the release stated.
Activities will not resume until Sept. 14, though “ongoing evaluation could mean some activities are reintroduced before that date.”
Dr. Timothy Stebbins, Crawford County public health officer, said the goal is to keep the university open.
“Numbers are rising quickly, and we are trying to stay on top of it, but we need students to help,” he said, also acknowledging that young adults gathering off-campus are contributing to the county’s cases.
PSU also is implementing more stringent occupancy limits at the student recreation center.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment had recorded 515 cases in the county as of Aug. 29. Crawford County reported on Wednesday that cases among 18-25-year-olds had increased to 100 people in isolation and more than 400 “close contacts” in quarantine.
