CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) - Leaders of Greek-life organizations at the University of Virginia have extended their restrictions on in-person activities for fraternities and sororities, even as school administrators lift stay-at-home orders for students.
The Inter-Fraternity Council’s message posted on its website said it is suspending all organized in-person activity until the end of March, The Daily Progress of Charlottesville reported Tuesday The Inter-Sorority Council, in an email sent to member chapters, suspended in-person gatherings until March 12.
“In January, the Inter-Fraternity Council decided to lift the ban on in-person events after seeing widespread compliance with the restrictions in the fall,” the council’s Feb. 26 statement says. “Since then, there have been multiple incidents of blatant noncompliance and disrespect for the less restrictive rules. Such behavior is irresponsible, and puts the health of the university community and many Charlottesville residents in unnecessary danger.”
Housing and meal plans were deemed exceptions, the statement said.
The decisions were announced after UVa officials reopened Grounds for student gatherings of up to six people providing masks and social distancing are observed.
“We appreciate the decision by the (fraternity council and sorority council) member chapters to revert to the suspension of all in-person activity they previously adopted for the fall semester,” UVa Dean of Students Allen Groves said.
Nearly 650 students tested positive for the virus in the first two weeks of the spring semester with a high of 229 cases reported on Feb. 16. That’s the day university administrators restricted students to their residences except for trips to class, food and work. Off-Grounds students were prohibited from coming onto the campus except to attend classes.
According to the UVa COVID tracker, during the 10-day crackdown COVID-19 cases dropped from a seven-day average of 109 cases per day on Feb. 20 to a seven-day average of 28 daily cases by Feb. 28.
Administrators said the surge was due to the entire student body’s general noncompliance with restrictions and not directly related to in-person recruitment events held by some fraternities and sororities.
On Feb. 23, the UVa Student Council passed a resolution ‘denouncing the university’s negligence regarding (fraternity and sorority) violations of COVID-19 restrictions for recruitment events.’
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