Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Appalachian State Announces 16 Cases of COVID-19 Among Construction Workers

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 05/19/20

Appalachian State University recently learned that 16 subcontracted workers have tested positive for COVID-19. Notification came from the Appalachian District Health Department (AppHealthCare). This follows previous reporting of two other campus-related cases, one involving a university employee and the other a student who had traveled abroad.

The latest outbreak occurred on a team of people involved in a campus construction project. Although the university didn't name the project, it is in the process of constructing four new residence halls.

According to the university, the contractor "has engaged in a thorough cleaning at the job site and workers [would] remain off campus until cleared by public health to return."

When App State learned about the self-reported cases through one of its contractors, the school worked with the contractor and AppHealthCare to get testing done on all members of the work crew.

It also put into place new rules, requiring that subcontracted workers wear masks and maintain appropriate physical distance. That's already in place for university employees working on campus.

The institution said that all construction projects remained "on schedule."

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Surging Demand for Student Housing Fuels Major Campus Investment Opportunities

    University leaders throughout the U.S. are accelerating plans to modernize and expand student housing as enrollment stabilizes and demand for on-campus living rebounds. Recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics indicates that total postsecondary enrollment is projected to grow through the end of the decade, with undergraduate enrollment alone expected to increase by more than 8 percent by 2030.

  • Full Sail University Announces First Student Housing Facility

    Full Sail University in Winter Park, Fla., recently announced that development has begun on its first student housing community, according to a news release. The university is partnering with Nvision Development for construction and long-term management of the facility, which will stand five stories and have the capacity for more than 570 beds.

  • LAN, Inc. Opens Office in College Station, Texas

    Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN) recently announced the opening of a new office in College Station, Texas, to support its regional client base, according to a news release. The organization provides engineering, design, and program management services for water, wastewater, transportation, stormwater, and education clients in the Brazos Valley.

  • New Arizona Fine Arts School Reaches Construction Milestone

    Construction of the new Hilltop School for the Arts and Theater in Litchfield Park, Ariz., recently hit a significant milestone, according to a news release. The Agua Fria High School District held a beam-signing ceremony to celebrate the building’s topping out, or the placement of its last structural beam.