By Abigail Cloutier
Youngstown State University’s COVID-19 dashboard updated Monday with a tally of COVID-19 cases reported for the first week of spring semester. There were 25 positive cases reported Jan. 16. One case was an employee, six cases were students living on campus in residence halls and the remaining 18 cases were students living off campus.
In preparation for the spring semester, the university implemented several new measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The office of environmental and occupational health and safety and the student housing office required all students moving into residence halls to take a COVID-19 test. The university also established weekly surveillance testing measures this semester, though participation is optional.
According to the Ohio Department of Health, the spike of COVID-19 cases in Mahoning County, which peaked Nov. 30 with 420 new cases in a single day, has dropped significantly. The county reported 506 new cases between Jan. 18-23, an average of 72 new cases a day. Like most of Ohio, Mahoning County remains in the red zone on the Ohio Public Health Advisory System, indicating “very high exposure and spread” of the virus.
For the latest daily information, be sure to visit YSU’s COVID-19 dashboard and the Ohio Department of Health’s website.