University of Notre Dame moves classes fully online for 2 weeks after COVID-19 spike

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WLS) -- The University of Notre Dame will move classes fully online for two weeks after COVID-19 infections on campus continue to spike.

Going into Monday, the university had reported a total of 58 confirmed coronavirus cases since the semester began on August 3. That number jumped to 147 after an additional 89 cases were confirmed on Monday, the university said.

As a result, the university is moving undergraduate classes online for two weeks. Students will be allowed to remain in dorms, but the university is encouraging students who live off-campus to remain in their homes and not come to campus during that 14 day period.

The university said the rate of tests coming back positive among its student body "remained well above the World Health Organization's suggested threshold of 5% positive for a state to reopen." The positivity rate last week jumped to 8.3%, then was 44% over the weekend, the university said. The total positivity rate for the semester is more than 11%, according to university officials.

Monday's 89 new cases were out of 418 tests administered, for a positivity rate of 19.1%.

University officials said students were sharing stories on social media about their difficulty in getting tested, as well as being notified by contact tracers they had been exposed to others who had tested positive for COVID-19.

University President Rev. John Jenkins addressed students about the situation Tuesday evening in a livestream.