Eastern coronavirus outbreak

CHENEY – Eastern Washington University is facing an outbreak of COVID-19 barely two weeks into fall quarter and the implementation of measures it and the city hoped would prevent large outbreaks from occurring.

University officials said they have placed 130 people in quarantine or isolation the past week alone, with periods ranging from 1-2 days while awaiting test results to up to 24 days. They also confirmed that Spokane Regional Health District officials have notified them that two of the outbreaks involve fraternities located off campus.

Annika Scharosch, Eastern’s vice president for civil rights, compliance and enterprise risk management, said most of those quarantined were done so by EWU on behalf of SRHD.

“The vast majority of these are people, both employees and students, who reside off campus,” she said.

According to the university’s Risk Management website, as of Oct. 6, 92 students living off-campus in Cheney have tested positive for the disease since Sept. 6 – 41 over the week of Sept. 20 – 26, 24 the week of Sept. 27 – Oct. 3 and nine in the current week, Oct. 4 – 10. Additionally over the Sept. 27 – Oct. 3 timeframe, 10 students living in campus housing tested positive, while eight were positive who do not live in campus housing but were on campus during their infectious period.

During the Sept. 20 – 26 timeframe, two students in on-campus housing and seven who lived off campus but were on during their infectious period tested positive for the disease. Two more students have tested positive this week.

Also, two employees tested positive over the Sept. 27 – Oct. 3 period. It’s the first employee cases since July 12 – 18.

Scharosch said students living in on-campus housing had been placed in isolation in a residence hall the university set aside specifically for this purpose.

“EWU is checking in with them on a daily basis to see how they are doing, connecting them with campus and community resources and delivering food,” she added.

EWU and Cheney officials had previously instituted measures they hoped would stave off large outbreaks of the disease within both communities. In a Sept. 16 joint news release (Battling Super-spreaders, Cheney Free Press, Sept. 24) both organizations — while not anticipating arrests, issuing citations or taking individuals to jail — said police officers will first respond to reports of large student gatherings or violations of face covering and social distancing requirements with an educational approach but would also “intervene with more punitive actions to address violations” to enforce health and safety requirements.

These actions could result in fines ranging from $100 – $5,000 and up to 90 days to a year in jail.

Eastern also issued an “EWU COVID Accountability Measures” document to all students and staff via email outlining health and safety violations that could result in punitive actions and what those actions could be. The document covers violations occuring occur on-campus in the classroom, residence halls and university owned/operated buildings along with off-campus individuals and organizations.

Dr. Samantha Armstrong Ash, EWU Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students/Student Affairs, said the measures were developed by a team that included representatives from Risk Management, university police and Campus Life, with student government and sorority and fraternity leaders kept apprised of developments. The team sought input from universities around the country, Armstrong Ash said, but received little, with most officials saying “we’re building the plane was we fly it.”

The document addresses possible violations in levels, with some allowing for two, three and four violations before more strict measures are instituted while others allow for only one violation. Actions range from verbal warnings to educational sanctions, campus access restrictions to suspensions and even fines.

“To really address what we are seeing it really is going to take the university and the community to address,” Armstrong Ash said.

Armstrong Ash said they realize attending college is already an expensive proposition, and fines levied could be financially damaging to many students. The team therefore set up these fines as warnings to curtail behavior.

“We have the ability to assess a fine to send a message to tell a student that if we do not see you for that violation again, that fine will be removed,” she said.

While addressing on-campus behavior, Armstrong Ash said the measures target students living off-campus. All students have been sent emails detailing health and safety protocols implemented by state and local health officials and proper compliance steps.

Armstrong Ash said they understand “people are really struggling” not being able to gather as usual. That’s particularly true with college-age students, who may want to follow COVID-19 prevention protocols, but feel other influences.

“Eastern is mindful on how to balance being an educational institution and work with students to do the right thing, holding them accountable but not blaming them for behavior seen in society,” she said. “They (students) are just like the rest of the community in that there are those who are not following the procedures while others are doing the right thing.”

According to Health District numbers, as of Oct. 5, 355 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the 99004 zip code (Cheney/Four Lakes), of which 184 tested positive since Sept. 6.

John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].