Fitchburg State closing campus as coronavirus cases mount

Photo | Courtesy | Fitchburg State University A sign advising coronavirus-related precautions at Fitchburg State University

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By Grant Welker

Fitchburg State University will end the fall semester remotely in light of fast-rising coronavirus cases both in Fitchburg and more broadly, the school announced Friday.

The university said it plans to switch to remote instruction no later than Nov. 21, just before Thanksgiving break, except for a small number of classes already approved to stay in-person. Residents halls will close the next day, Nov. 22.

Fitchburg suffered an outbreak of cases around the start of November, with news reports linking more than 200 confirmed cases to Crossroads Community Church, which has denied its link to the new cases but later canceled in-person gatherings. In new Massachusetts Department of Public Health data released Thursday, Fitchburg and Leominster each had among the state's highest case rates in the past two weeks: at least 45 cases per 100,000. Both rates more than double the state average.

Worcester County cases have also been on a dramatic rise, with a seven-day total through Thursday of 1,816 — roughly a doubling in just one week, and the county's second-highest one-week total during the pandemic so far.

The spring semester will start Jan. 25, one week later than originally planned. The spring recess scheduled for March has been canceled, though four so-called wellness days have been added to the academic schedule.

Fitchburg State has reported 16 positive tests this semester, including 12 in the past week through Nov. 8. The university has conducted more than 5,500 tests over the semester.