Since Aug. 9, 110 students were placed in quarantine and 34 students were placed in isolation in SIU Housing, according to information obtained by the Daily Egyptian through a Freedom of Information Act request.

The Daily Egyptian previously reported 48 students were quarantined and 13 students were placed in isolation in the month of August, based on data from a previous FOIA request. 

(See more: 61 students placed in quarantine or isolation on campus in August)

New data obtained indicates between Sept. 1 through 19, 62 students were placed in quarantine and 21 students were placed in isolation in university housing. 

According to the CDC, people who have had close contact with someone with COVID-19 are placed in quarantine, while people who are sick or have tested positive for COVID-19 (with or without symptoms) are placed in isolation.

No students were placed in quarantine or isolation in university housing Aug. 1–8, so the data from August spans 23 days. In that time, 61 students were placed in quarantine or isolation, with 79% of them in quarantine and 21% in isolation.

The September data spans 19 days, and in that time, 83 students were placed in quarantine or isolation, with 75% of them in quarantine and 25% in isolation. 

Since Aug. 9, 144 students have been placed in quarantine or isolation in SIU Housing, with 76% of them being in quarantine and 24% being in isolation.

The 83 quarantines and isolations in the 19-day September time span make up 58% of the total amount, while the August instances, over 23 says, make up 42%.

Between Sept. 1 and Sept. 5, 26 students were placed in quarantine and seven students were placed in isolation in university housing.

In its Sept. 2 report of active cases associated with campus, SIU reported nine active cases on campus. 

SIU’s weekly reports include all active cases, not only new cases. The numbers received in the FOIA request of students quarantining/isolating include only students who were newly placed in quarantine/isolation for that week.

Additionally, the quarantine/isolation data is broken down by weeks starting on Sundays, while the weekly active case report is released every Wednesday.

These differences in reporting methods may account for discrepancies between the active on-campus cases and students newly placed in isolation.

In the following week, Sept. 6 through 12, nine students were placed in quarantine and five were placed in isolation.

On Sept. 9, SIU reported nine active on-campus cases.

Between Sept. 13 and 19, 27 students were quarantined and nine were placed in isolation.

SIU’s latest weekly report, released on Sept. 16, listed five active on-campus cases. The next report is set to release Sept. 23.

According to the August data, from Aug. 9 to 15, the week before classes began, two students were placed in quarantine and one was placed in isolation.

In the first week of classes, Aug. 16 through 22, 15 students were placed in quarantine and two were placed in isolation. 

On Aug. 20, SIU released the first report on active cases associated with campus and did not report any active on-campus cases.

The following week, Aug. 23 through 29, 28 students were placed in quarantine and six students were placed in isolation.

On Aug. 26, the weekly active cases reported by SIU included three active on-campus cases.

In the two days ending the month, Aug. 30 and 31, three students were placed in quarantine and four were placed in isolation.

SIU currently does not publicly release quarantine numbers.

Managing Editor Rana Schenke can be reached at [email protected]. 

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