Duke University Orders Quarantine After 'Unsanctioned' Fraternity Event Becomes COVID Superspreader

Undergraduate students at Duke University are under mandatory quarantine orders following a fraternity recruitment gathering that turned into a super spreader event.

The quarantine, which began at midnight on Saturday, will last for a week, the New York Post reports. Those who violate the mandatory stay-at-home order could face expulsion or suspension.

All in-person classes at Duke University, including labs, are expected to switch to online learning for the week of the mandatory quarantine. Commuters will not be allowed on campus, and students living in dormitories will be required to stay in their rooms.

However, on-campus students will be allowed to leave their dorms to go pick up food, seek medical attention, or for safety reasons.

“This action is necessary to contain the rapidly escalating number of COVID cases among Duke undergraduates, which is principally driven by students attending recruitment parties for selective living groups,” the university said in a statement.

Over 180 Duke students were in isolation after testing positive for COVID-19, and an additional 200 students were forced to quarantine following contact tracing.

The university went on to reveal it has consulted with experts before issuing the mandatory quarantine.

“If this feels serious, it’s because it is. This stay-in-place period is strongly recommended by our medical experts.,” the statement read.

“The restriction of student movement—coupled with a renewed dedication to following social distancing, masking, symptom monitoring, and other public health guidelines—gives us the best path toward curtailing further spread.”

The mandatory quarantine will end at 9 a.m. on Sunday, March 21, but the university will monitor the number of infections and update students on Thursday.