UA Update Shows Decline With 119 New COVID-19 Student Cases

TUSCALOOSA, AL. — The University of Alabama System on Friday reported 156 new COVID-19 cases systemwide, with 119 new cases among students on UA's Tuscaloosa campus.

The new cases added to the UA System's online COVID-19 Dashboard were identified from Sept. 11 - 17 and represent the lowest number of new cases identified over a one-week testing period since classes began. Additionally, 17 new cases were identified among faculty and staff on the Tuscaloosa campus during this time.

With Friday's update, the total number of cases for the three-school system is up to 2,729 since classes began in late August. The Tuscaloosa campus represents the largest portion of those cases, with 2,461 cumulative cases.

The UA System said in its accompanying press release that Friday's report signals a continued decline in positive cases and a dramatic reduction in the occupancy rate of isolation/quarantine space across the system.

The occupancy rate of quarantine space on UA's Tuscaloosa campus was at 3.88% and 6.15% systemwide.

Sentinel testing of students, faculty and staff is also ongoing, the system said, with less than 1% of those in the sentinel program testing positive

Dr. Ricky Friend, who serves as dean of the College of Community Health Sciences (CCHS) and member of the UA System Health and Safety Task Force, said he was pleased to report that UA's number of daily cases, active cases and use of isolation and quarantine space have all dramatically declined.

“This is encouraging and reiterates that, when the health and safety precautions are followed, they work very well to contain and minimize cases across the UA campus and throughout the UA System," he said.

The next update of the UA System's COVID -19 Dashboard will be published Sept. 25.