The Cost of UI COVID-19 Preparations
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The Daily Iowan WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2020 THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA COMMUNITY SINCE 1868 DAILYIOWAN.COM 50¢ INSIDE No spring break at UI, classes to remain in hybrid format for spring semester The University of Iowa will delay the start of the spring semester by one week, and nix spring break. 5 BY RYLEE WILSON on May 14. number of instruction days throughout the winter and for the spring semester, with fellows and student employees. [email protected] The University of Northern while starting one week later,” spring semesters and will take most planning to continue op- Of those, 469 were approved, At the University of Iowa, Iowa and Iowa State University the email stated. action deemed necessary to erating in a similar format to the 12 are pending approval from there won’t be a spring break in will also forego a spring break. For the fall semester, nearly help mitigate the transmission fall semester. the college, and one was with- the spring 2021 semester, and The winter instruction 80 percent of undergraduate of the virus,” the email said. The UI has made temporary drawn. classes in 2021 will operate in a session at the UI will still take hours were conducted online. There have been 27 cases work arrangements available for The UI also has received similar format to the fall 2020 place, and will be extended by There have been 1,804 cases among employees since the university employees who don’t and approved 352 requests for semester. one week, and the majority of of COVID-19 among UI stu- beginning of the semester. want to work inperson. Accord- a temporary learning arrange- In a campus-wide email classes will take place online. dents since the beginning of Currently, two students are in ing to the campus-wide email, ment for students who are at sent Monday, the UI wrote the “This change was made in the semester, with 72 new stu- quarantine in the residence the UI Human Resources has risk according to CDC guide- First Edition of Amplify spring semester will begin on consideration of the ongoing dent cases since Sept. 11. halls and 30 are in isolation. received 482 requests — 253 from lines or are living with someone The Daily Iowan's first edition of "Amplify," Jan. 25, a week later than orig- COVID-19 pandemic and the “The university will closely Several other universities na- faculty, 105 from staff, 114 from who is at risk. a page focused on community and culture, inally scheduled, and will end ability to maintain the same monitor cases of COVID-19 tionwide have announced plans graduate assistants, and 10 from features Latinx individuals' support of the Black Lives Matter movement. 3 The cost of UI COVID-19 preparations Tippie Associate DEI University of Iowa Director Inducted faculty, staff, and Gabriela Rivera, associate director of Diversity, Equity and inclusion at the Tippie students have access to College of Business will be inducted into the Iowa Latino Hall of fame. free coronavirus testing BY LILLIAN POULSEN AND NATALIE DUNLAP 6 [email protected] The University of Iowa offers free testing for students, faculty, and staff if they are symptom- atic or have a known exposure to someone who has tested positive for the coronavirus. Howev- er, with a consultation before the appointment, testing can be expensive. The UI released in its latest COVID-19 campus update that as of Sept. 11, there have been 1,804 80 Hours: Public Space self-reported coronavirus cases among students One to present first virtu- and 27 among employees since the beginning of al 24-hour Art-A-Thon the semester. As the coronavirus continues to Public Space One will hold its first virtual spread, more people are looking for ways to get telethon-style Art-A-Thon this weekend to tested. support the local art community. The fes- Director of Student Health Paul Natvig said tival will showcase a range of talent from the UI offers free testing for students, faculty, artists with ties to Iowa City, from dancers and staff, but they must complete a telehealth and painters to multi-media creators video call beforehand with a health-care pro- 80 hours, 1B vider to determine whether they need a test. UI Campus Health Officer Dan Fick said a test costs the university $100, the DI previously reported. 6 Natvig said if someone has health insurance through the university, the telehealth video Raquele Decke/The Daily Iowan session doesn’t cost them anything. He said UI Masks, sanitizer, and tissues are seen available in the Pomerantz Center on Sept. 15. SEE STUDENT, 2 Rival schools 80 Hours: Marching On Freshman marching band members have Iowa City hot spot for been tasked with adjusting to the transition come together to collegiate level band, along with COVID-19 restrictions. for Iowa sickout vaccine trials Ames and Iowa City 10 The University of Iowa is approaching its target of enrolling 250 volunteers have both experienced in a trial for a COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer and BioNtech. COVID-19 breakouts in the first few weeks of class. Students and faculty from both Iowa universities called in sick on Sept. 15 to advocate for online classes. Former Hawkeyes shine in BY NATALIE DUNLAP NFL’s opening week [email protected] Hawkeyes across the NFL found success on both sides of the ball, with all three Hawkeyes on the Denver Broncos having The University of Iowa and Iowa State memorable performances. Also, a new University are often against each other Green Bay Packer as well as a new Cleve- in their state school rivalry, but on Sept. land Brown had a considerable impact on 15, students and faculty from both uni- defense in their games. versities joined together to call in sick and demand online classes for another sickout. 10 As of 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 15, the UI sickout received 510 pledges, which were fairly evenly split between the two schools, according to UI sickout organiz- ers. Some University of Northern Iowa and Kirkwood students also signed the pledge. In an email to The Daily Iowan, UI sick- Photo Illustration by Katie Goodale out members said they were contacted Dolphin, Podolak discuss . by Iowa State University organizers who upcoming football season wanted to organize a sickout at their BY SARAH WATSON company had enrolled more than 25,000 participants in school. UI held their first, independent Gary Dolphin and Ed Podolak should be [email protected] its trials. sickout on Sept. 2, in which 916 students, calling Iowa football games on the radio by The vaccine is administered by injection. Half of the faculty and staff participated, the mem- this point in the calendar. But with the Big The University of Iowa — home to a top medical col- people in the trial received a salt water placebo and half bers said. Ten’s postponement of the season, they’ve lege and now a national COVID-19 hotspot — has near- received the vaccine. Two important components when “The first sickout was successful in had an extended offseason and have some ly all the participants enrolled in its COVID-19 vaccine studying the vaccine, lead University of Iowa researcher terms of numbers, but this sickout is thoughts on the upcoming football season. trial. Patricia Winokur said, are the efficacy — or how effec- focused on showing solidarity with oth- The UI is one of about 120 sites worldwide selected to tive the vaccine is in preventing the COVID-19 virus — er college communities across Iowa,” test a vaccine manufactured by drug companies Pfizer and the vaccine’s safety. the UI sickout organizers said. “We are and BioNtech. And being in a location like Iowa City helps vaccine re- aware that this is not a problem unique The UI began enrolling volunteers for the trial in Ju- searchers assess better whether the vaccine is effective. to the University of Iowa and its admin- ly, aiming to recruit 250 participants. Now, the trial has “Being in a hot spot is advantageous because our istration. Across Iowa teachers, students, about 220 volunteers, 120 of whom have already received people participating in the vaccine study are going to staff, and faculty, are risking COVID-19 a second dose of the vaccine, and the UI plans to recruit be coming in contact more readily with COVID-19 and exposure due to face-to-face instruc- Tune in for LIVE updates its final volunteers by Sept. 23. That date was extended perhaps showing that the vaccine is superior to what we tion. By partnering with other schools, Watch for campus and city after Iowa City saw a sharp spike in COVID-19 cases as call a placebo.” we hope to bring more attention to our news, weather, and Hawkeye thousands of students returned to campus in August, Because the UI study is a fraction of the larger study, cause, and to show people that this isn’t sports coverage every day at and made the New York Times list for top outbreaks the UI group won’t be able to draw conclusions from it. just a UIowa issue — in fact, these harm- dailyiowan.com. among metro cities. But, Winokur said so far two people in the study tested ful decisions are being made statewide Between 20,000 and 30,000 people nationwide will positive for the virus — though because the study was and nationwide.” be enrolled in the trial of the vaccine, making the UI just conducted blindly, they didn’t know whether those peo- Since students returned to campus, a small segment of the trials.