COVID-19

International students watch restrictions loosen in Gainesville as COVID-19 rages at home

By Isabella Douglas and Alexandra Harris | July 8

Almost 6,000 international students from 140 countries, more than half of them graduate students, attended UF in Fall 2020, according to the UF International Center. Students witnessed inequality, civil unrest and vaccine shortages while in their home countries. Others read about their country’s pandemic in the news and listened to their loved ones overseas.

Shands hospital halts media availability as county COVID-19 cases drop

By Lucille Lannigan | Feb. 18

COVID-19 cases at Santa Fe College nearly half from previous week

By Lily Kino | Feb. 18

Cristie Anderson, 38, a nursing student at Santa Fe College, passes by the Alan J. Robertson Administration building on Friday, June 18, 2021.

COVID-19 cases at Santa Fe College continue to decline

By Lily Kino | Feb. 11

Alachua County vaccination rate hits 70%

By Lucille Lannigan | Feb. 9

Positive COVID cases drop in Alachua County

By Lucille Lannigan | Feb. 2

Más COVID-19

COVID 19 | UF

UF offers conflicting information on isolation dorms, leaving students frustrated

By Fernando Figueroa | Jan. 24

UF will no longer provide isolation dorms for students who live on campus for a “proper quarantine or isolation length,” according to UF Health’s Screen Test & Protect. No further information on how long these periods last is available.

COVID 19

Santa Fe College reported 195 COVID-19 cases in the last week

By Lily Kino | Jan. 19

Santa Fe College reported 195 positive COVID-19 cases from students and employees from Jan. 11 to Monday.

UF students sit inside their Integrated Principles of Biology Two lecture on Friday, Jan. 14, 2021. Students have been re-adjusting to in-person classes amid a rise in COVID-19 cases.

COVID 19 | UF

UF professors create online alternatives as COVID-19 empties classrooms

By Gregorio Ruiz-Perez | Jan. 18

Students who have to quarantine and miss class will be treated as being absent for any other sickness, according to an Aug. 18 campus brief.

COVID 19 | UF

Florida Department of Health delays UF COVID-19 data

By Lucille Lannigan | Jan. 12

UF discontinued it’s dashboard on Dec. 31, pushing the university’s COVID-19 data to the Florida Department of Health. But FDOH couldn’t provide the numbers within five days.

A student walks into Santa Fe College Jackson N. Sasser Fine Arts Hall, where hosts a COVID vaccine event on Thursday morning 9 a.m., May 13, 2021, at the Jackson N. Sasser Fine Arts Hall on SF’s Northwest Campus for people to get their second vaccine.

COVID 19

COVID-19 cases surge at Santa Fe College; 163 people test positive in the last week

By Lily Kino | Jan. 12

Santa Fe College reported 163 positive COVID-19 cases from students and employees from Jan. 3 to Monday. This is the first week the college has tracked cases since the return of students, staff and faculty from winter break, according to Santa Fe’s communication manager Jay Anderson.

COVID 19 | UF

UF Health discontinued Screen, Test & Protect in light of Spring semester’s start

By Lucille Lannigan | Jan. 10

The UF Health STP program was part of the initial emergency response to COVID-19, UF Health spokesperson Ken Garcia wrote in an email. The transition of services to existing local and state health infrastructure is the next phase in UF’s response.

Photo by Melanie Pena | The Independent Florida Alligator

COVID 19 | UF

UF classes to remain in-person with no mask or vaccination requirement despite rising COVID-19 cases

By Lucille Lannigan | Jan. 5

The decision for classes to remain in-person was made in consultation with UF Health experts and following guidance from the Florida Board of Governors. UF Health Screen, Test & Protect discontinued its COVID-19 data dashboard Dec. 31.

COVID 19 | UF

COVID-19 Update: County cases more than double in a week, Shands hospitalizations rise

By Lucille Lannigan | Jan. 5

On Dec. 22, the seven day average was 68 after staying below 15 most of November, according to the UF Health Screen, Test & Protect testing dashboard. UF has 845 students, staff and affiliates currently in quarantine as of Friday.

COVID 19

UF researcher discovers new animal coronaviruses, stresses their mutations could cause pandemics

By J.P. Oprison | Dec. 3

His studies reveal a global outbreak like COVID-19 can happen through further mutation of viruses as they continue to spread between people and animals.

COVID 19 | UF

COVID-19 Update: Local cases, Shands hospitalizations continue falling as new Omicron variant emerges

By J.P. Oprison | Dec. 1

The new COVID-19 variant, known as Omicron, has been designated as a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization. It was first reported to WHO by South African scientists Nov. 24.

COVID 19 | UF

COVID-19 Update: Local cases, Shands hospitalizations fall while statewide weekly cases rise for first time since August

By J.P. Oprison | Nov. 24

UF’s number of reported cases fell, with 23 cases from Nov. 14 to Sunday — down from 29 the previous week. The seven-day average fell below four Nov. 16 for the first time this month.

COVID 19 | UF

Shadowing program gives pre-health students experience as pandemic restrictions remain

By J.P. Oprison | Nov. 22

The program helps expose participants to healthcare professions. Its virtual format on Zoom makes shadowing more accessible for underprivileged students and parents providing for their families while fulfilling academic obligations.

COVID 19 | UF

COVID-19 Update: County cases, Shands hospitalizations rise while UF weekly cases nearly halve

By J.P. Oprison | Nov. 17

There were a total of 177 new cases in Alachua County this week — 71 more than the prior week. From the week of Aug. 27 to last week, new cases per week fell by about 93%

COVID 19 | UF

COVID-19 Update: UF quarantine numbers rise while county cases continue falling

By J.P. Oprison | Nov. 10

For the first time since Oct. 15, UF cases rose above 30, with at least 43 cases reported from Oct. 30 to Friday. The seven-day average rose above 4 on Nov. 1 for the first time since Oct. 16. The seven-day average was 6 as of Saturday.