A Vermont college pointed to Halloween parties in responding to a recent COVID-19 outbreak among students, and it has canceled social gatherings and enforced strict masking guidelines as a result.
St. Michael's College, located in Colchester, announced in a statement on Nov. 3 that there were 10 positive COVID-19 student results, which it called "the first significant uptick in cases" during the semester, and the numbers have risen in the days since.
"We were doing really well as a community up to the point where there were numerous Halloween parties where students were unmasked and in close contact," the college said in a Nov. 7 statement.
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"We are managing this situation, and we will get back to where we need to be, but we need to be clear about what caused this disruption to all of our lives," the statement continued. "It was the disregard for our health and safety guidelines and College policies on the part of some members of our community."
According to the college's COVID Dashboard, between Aug. 23 and Oct. 22, no more than 11 positive COVID-19 cases were reported. Within the past two weeks, the college has reported a total of 79 positive COVID-19 cases.
As a result of the rise in COVID-19 cases throughout the student body, the college announced on Nov. 7 that classes would be held in person starting the next day — but also canceled in-person social gatherings until Thanksgiving.
The school said "College-sponsored events" would be allowed to continue with masking, but off-campus visitors must either be vaccinated or show proof of a negative COVID-19 test result.
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To date, Vermont has reported a total of 42,547 COVID-19-related cases and 384 COVID-19-related deaths, according to The New York Times coronavirus tracker. The same data show 72% of the state's adult population is fully vaccinated.
The Washington Examiner reached out to St. Michael's College for a comment but did not receive a response.
Original Location: Vermont college ties Halloween parties to COVID-19 outbreak
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