Washington Tightens Rules For Colleges Amid Coronavirus Outbreaks

SEATTLE, WA — Gov. Jay Inslee on Tuesday issued new rules for Washington colleges and universities amid dozens of outbreaks linked to students, particularly among fraternities and sororities.

"We know we have seen a real surge in the pandemic around our colleges and universities," Inslee said during a news conference Tuesday. "To date, we have seen 35 outbreaks at colleges and universities, with more than 800 cases directly attributable to these congregate living and social gatherings associated with campuses."

An outbreak linked to 10 sororities and eight fraternities has infected nearly 300 students living near the University of Washington's Seattle campus since the first cases we identified in early September. Before that, several outbreaks associated with dorms and Greek housing at Washington State University's Pullman campus led to a spike in cases in Whitman County.

"We saw a huge positivity rate in Whitman County principally related to this," Inslee said. "They got hit first because they opened first, not because of any particular inability."

The governor's latest proclamation requires all universities and colleges to provide isolation and quarantine facilities for students living in dorms, shared housing and fraternity and sorority houses. Inslee said the cost associated with the facilities can be passed on to students who require them, using "a sliding scale."

Students will also be directly required to adhere to more strict mandates in on-campus living areas:

• Masks will be required at all times in living areas, except when outside or in sleeping areas.
• No more than two students can share the same sleeping quarters.
• Visits must be limited to five people outside the immediate household.
• No more than five people can occupy common areas at the same time.
• On-campus meal service must adhere to existing guidance, offering only grab-and-go or single tables.

"In other words, we can only watch the Apple Cup in these sites with five of your closest friends," Inslee said. "When we do watch the Apple Cup, we need to socially distance, we need to wear masks, even with our good friends. Because those are the setting where transmissions are occurring."

The governor said getting a handle on surges among student populations is necessary not only to protect students and faculty but to help shield the broader community.

"These additional restrictions are important, not just because we've seen COVID activity increase on campuses, but because we're seeing the same trend of increasing activity statewide, nationwide and, in some sense, worldwide," Inslee said. "This threatens our health, our businesses, our children's education, our livelihoods. We need to get it under control."

Related: Fall Surge: Washington Coronavirus Cases Climb At 'Alarming Rate'

Earlier Tuesday, state health officials sounded the alarm on a "fall surge" in illness, amid a sharp rise in cases and transmission rates in Western Washington. The statewide rate reported Tuesday was slightly above 100 new cases per 100,000 residents over two weeks, a figure that is four times the target level. With the coldest months of the year drawing near, health officials worry a third peak could arrive even before the weather forces more people inside, where the risk of transmission is the highest.

"COVID-19 can penetrate any social bubble with enough time and without adequate preparation," Inslee said. "People have now spent most of 2020 under these precautions, and we certainly understand how long this has been. We're all tired of this virus, but this virus is not tired of us, and we've got more work to do."

Keep up with the latest coronavirus information:

• King County daily outbreak summary
• King County key indicators dashboard
• Pierce County daily coronavirus updates
• Snohomish County daily coronavirus updates
• Washington coronavirus risk assessment dashboard
• Department of Health COVID-19 data dashboard