BLOOMSBURG– According to Bloomsburg University’s website, there are now 89 confirmed cases among both students and employees. Forty more students have tested positive since the last update posted August 24th. The amount of cases nearly doubled within 2 days. 

Sixty-seven of the 89 students that tested positive live off-campus and 14 of the 89 live on-campus. Only eight are isolated at home. 

Due to a weekend of college students partying, President Bashar Hanna released a video message earlier this week stating, “Mask up or pack up.”  Hanna says in order to save the semester, the BU community must change their safety behaviors. He encourages students to be a part of the solutions and not the problem. 

Senior Jordan Williams, says, “They shouldn’t have even let us come back this semester.”

Physician Assistant major Emmuanella Joseph stated, “We’ve been masking up and we’re probably still going to have to pack up.”  

BU numbers now exceed that of other universities which have already pulled the plug on the semester including schools such as University of Notre Dame.

Any students cited by local police for not wearing a mask could face consequences from the school of conduct.

Bloomsburg University will continue to post updates of positive COVID-19 cases on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings.