The Kent City Health Department has notified 29 residents of Koonce Hall, ninth floor, on Kent State University’s Kent Campus that they must quarantine until April 20 due to possible exposure to the communicable disease COVID-19.
The 29 students will remain in a separate section of Koonce Hall. Meals will be provided along with other university resources through the quarantine period. Anyone testing positive has been moved to isolation. The university will work with the students and their instructors to ensure a seamless transition to remote learning for any face-to-face courses.
Kent State has prepared for positive cases throughout the semester, and we have made rooms available on campus to support those in the residence halls who must isolate with a positive case or who must quarantine as a close contact.
Anyone who believes they are a close contact or who is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 should contact the COVID Response Team at 330-672-2525. A close contact is defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes starting from two days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, two days prior to specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated.
Kent State will continue to work with city and county health officials to curb the spread of the virus. For additional guidance on protocols for quarantines, visit the COVID Response Team page. The university’s COVID-19 dashboard provides updated information about the impact of positive COVID-19 cases on Kent State’s eight campuses. For the latest information on the university’s response, visit Kent State’s coronavirus page.