After almost two weeks of not having any updates of COVID-19 cases posted on the VSU website, VSU finally posted the current active cases on-campus on their COVID-19 News Center page.

As of Friday Aug. 28, VSU currently has 18 students who have reported having COVID-19, according to the VSU update. There are 25 total positive COVID-19 cases that have been reported on campus since the start of school. It’s unclear when exactly the other seven cases were reported or if those cases are among the student body or VSU employees.

The new report also doesn’t specify how many positive cases were tested at the Student Health center. Other universities such as Miami University and Northern Kentucky University are specifying where their COVID stats are being tested and updating them daily on their websites.

The VSU report does, however, specify that the updated reports posted “are from individuals who have not been on campus recently, including faculty/students who are teaching/learning fully online.” All positive COVID-19 cases will also be updated and posted on the VSU COVID-19 News Center website every Friday at noon.

Robbyn Despain, director of strategic communications, encouraged students in a statement released Friday Aug. 28 via email to continue to get tested.

“Please make sure you are getting tested in our Student Health Center if you have symptoms, and that if you test positive, you self-report it within MyVSU,” she said.

With the number of active cases finally made public, some students are now more fearful for not only their lives but others lives as well.

Chelan Worms, senior communications major, lives off campus but still fears the safety for people who have to go on campus.

“I feel extremely worried for my friends that do live on campus and that have classes face-to-face,” she said. “Also, I am worried about my professors, especially the older ones and ones with family members with health issues.”

Worms is also concerned about how often the numbers will be updated on the VSU website.

“If there are new cases, we should be updated on a daily basis,” she said. “Also, I didn’t even know about the 18 cases because it Is hidden among the other 400 emails, I get from VSU a day.”

Molly Anne, a junior English major, also believes the cases should be updated daily on the VSU website and said that she doesn’t feel safe on-campus even though VSU has strict CDC guidelines in place.

“I see people every day not wearing their masks properly,” she said. “I feel okay knowing that all my classes are online, but I worry for the teachers that are having in-person classes.”

VSU’s current positive case numbers join the overall Lowndes county case number count which is now at 3,438 as of Aug. 28, according to the Georgia Department of Georgia Health.

Written by Lenah Allen, Editor-in-Chief. Photo Courtesy of Bethany Davis, Graphic Designer.