Liberty University shifts to online classes due to rise in COVID-19 cases

Liberty University this week switched all classes to online instruction due to increasing COVID-19 cases.

The Virginia university made the change on Monday, just one week after the school year started, according to The Washington Post.

“The campus infection rate is higher than at anytime last year, our only local hospital is reaching capacity for ICU COVID treatment, and we project our Annex quarantine capacity to be reached soon,” officials wrote in a statement on Friday, the Post noted.

The university also decided to pause all indoor events and take further precautions to increase safety.

As of last Wednesday, 124 coronavirus cases were reported on Liberty’s campus among students. Thirty-five staff members were also reported to have contracted the virus, according to the school’s dashboard.

Liberty also reported a total of 274 on-campus students and 111 commuters who were required to quarantine as a result of coming in contact with active COVID-19 cases. An additional 107 employees were also asked to quarantine.

The university last week announced a campus-wide quarantine amid surging cases.

At the time, it stated that the “temporary mitigation period” would last until Sept. 10.

Liberty previously sparked criticism for allowing students to return to campus after spring break at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.