More than 1,200 students and 150 employees have tested positive for the coronavirus at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, ABC News reports. That amounts to roughly 4% of the student population of the campus.
The college started in-person classes last week, and nearly immediately, students started sharing photos of parties and large gatherings at bars.
The university had reported just 481 cases at the beginning of the week, which was enough at the time for Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox to order bars closed for two weeks, until September 8th.
“The rise we’ve seen in recent days is unacceptable, and if unchecked, threatens our ability to complete the rest of the semester on campus,” University of Alabama president Stuart Bell said at a press conference this week. “Now is the time for action.”