Updated: Sept 17, 2020 @ 9pm 

ASU is providing periodic updates on our COVID-19 Management Framework, which consists of supporting virus management efforts at the state, local and university level.

Statewide COVID-19 Trend Analysis as Produced by ASU Epidemiology Group

Arizona’s positive COVID-19 case count has been decreasing since its peak in June, and trending downward very steadily since the end of June. Due to a change in ADHS reporting, total positive tests reported for Sept.17, 2020, climbed to 1,753, and the seven-day trailing average of total positive tests is 665. ASU’s critical COVID-19 trend data is updated daily and accessible by the public. One value people use to understand the level of viral transmission is Rt, which is roughly the average number of people subsequently infected by each currently infected person. The Rt for Arizona is 0.94, which is an indicator that the level of spread of COVID-19 is holding steady. You can also see Arizona’s Rt in comparison to other states.

Following also is a link to a statewide COVID Epidemiology Situation Report produced by ASU faculty that provides a significant summary of COVID-19 activity at the state and county level (Maricopa) as of Sept. 16 and dating back to April 1.

ASU Support for Statewide Efforts to Combat the Spread of COVID-19

Since the start of the pandemic, ASU has mobilized resources to help the state and our communities combat the spread of COVID-19. Below is a sampling of our ongoing efforts:

• Established and operate a clinically-approved and certified COVID-19 testing lab
• Developed, deployed and continue to enhance the first saliva-based test in the western U.S.
• Operating COVID-19 testing sites throughout Arizona, testing thousands for the virus each week, including critical infrastructure/utility personnel, first responders and healthcare workers
• Designed, deployed and manage an online network of 3D printers and sewing machines to rapidly produce PPE for local hospitals and health care providers throughout Arizona
• Provide daily key data and analysis to track and predict the spread of the pandemic and its impact
• Launched an online platform with resources for students, parents, educators, remote workers and health care professionals to promote resilience and continued education during the pandemic
• Assisting businesses with reopening plans

More information about these efforts can be found in this recently published six-month review of how ASU’s research enterprise and the community have united against the pandemic. 

ASU Monitoring Campus Neighborhood Trends

ASU is aware that our community extends beyond the borders of our campuses. We have worked with businesses surrounding our campuses that students and employees often visit so they understand our expectations around enforcing public health protocols during the pandemic. ASU has also worked with housing developments where large numbers of our students reside to communicate our expectations for conduct and behavior, including the fact that parties and large gatherings that violate public health guidelines are prohibited.

ASU is also working with the Arizona Department of Health Services to analyze and produce data from the zip codes in which our campuses (including residence halls) are located to understand virus trends at the local level. 

ASU COVID-19 Situational Update

ASU has previously published its COVID management framework. In short, it is our expectation that COVID-19 is not going away anytime soon and that we must find a way to operate the university in a way that accounts for the ongoing presence of the virus. That is why we have invented testing technology, built health check apps in partnership with the Mayo Clinic, and established extensive protocols to help manage the virus in our community. ASU is also following CDC guidelines related to higher education.

Since August 1, we have collected approximately 57,629 test results from students and employees. The incidence of testing has increased as we launched periodic testing of a statistically significant percentage of the on-campus population. ASU maintains a low positive incidence with students and an even lower positive incidence with faculty and staff.

Cumulative number of positive tests since August 1, 2020

• Students: 1,580
• Faculty and staff: 30

Cumulative number of individuals no longer positive/medically cleared for release

• Students: 1,403
• Faculty and staff: 148*

*this number includes ASU employees who were positive cases prior to August 1. 

As of September 16, our COVID-19 positive case count is as follows:

• 5 total known positives among 12,400 total faculty and staff, which is .04% confirmed positive among employees.
• 355 total known positives among our total student body of 74,500 (excluding online), which is .4% confirmed positive among the student body.
  • 259 of these positive cases are off campus in the metropolitan Phoenix area
  • 88 are in isolation on the ASU Tempe campus. A total of 9,426 students live on the ASU Tempe campus.
  • The remaining are in isolation on either the ASU Downtown Phoenix, ASU West or Polytechnic campuses. These numbers have been combined for reporting purposes to address concerns that the specific individuals could otherwise be identified from the number. A total of 1,153 students live in university housing on the ASU Downtown Phoenix campus; 514 students live on the ASU West campus; 764 students live on the ASU Polytechnic campus.

As of September 13, our COVID-19 positive case count is as follows:

• 8 total known positives among 12,400 total faculty and staff, which is .06% confirmed positive among employees.
• 478 total known positives among our total student body of 74,500 (excluding online), which is .6% confirmed positive among the student body.
  • 387 of these positive cases are off campus in the metropolitan Phoenix area
  • 77 are in isolation on the ASU Tempe campus. A total of 9,479 students live on the ASU Tempe campus.
  • The remaining are in isolation on either the ASU Downtown Phoenix, ASU West or Polytechnic campuses. These numbers have been combined for reporting purposes to address concerns that the specific individuals could otherwise be identified from the number. A total of 1,178 students live in university housing on the ASU Downtown Phoenix campus; 519 students live on the ASU West campus; 764 students live on the ASU Polytechnic campus.

ASU is taking the following steps to proactively manage COVID-19 cases:

• All positive cases are in isolation, per CDC guidelines
• Contact tracing efforts implemented for close contacts (per CDC, a close contact is defined as being less than 6 feet away for 10 minutes or more) with instructions for quarantining
• Scientific investigation of test results and virus transmission on and off campus has been initiated
• Continued and strengthened enforcement of ASU Community of Care standards and physical distancing protocols
• Using the daily health check application to monitor students and employees for COVID-19 symptoms.
• Moving to University Housing Mode 3, Restricted Mode of Operations: Increase security and enforcement; restrict ingress with no external visitors and one guest per room from within the same residence hall at any given time; de-densify higher risk living configurations with communal bathrooms and communal living situations; housing removal for repeat violations; and facilitate single occupancy and process approved housing License Agreement Release requests.

ASU Learning Modes of Operation

Learning Mode 1: Instruction is delivered to students by faculty in-person, on-campus without special public health requirements. Instruction is also available to students digitally through ASU Sync and iCourses.

Learning Mode 2: Instruction is delivered to students by faculty in a hybrid fashion. Courses are offered in-person, on-campus at a reduced capacity and are also available to students digitally through ASU Sync and iCourses. All faculty, staff and students are required to comply with public health requirements. Students can choose their preferred learning environment to accommodate their needs. This is the mode in which ASU started the fall semester. This mode will continue until circumstances permit it to move up or require it to move down.

Learning Mode 3: The majority of courses are delivered to students digitally through ASU Sync and iCourses. A limited number of courses that do not translate to a digital environment such as labs and performing arts, are offered in-person, on-campus at a reduced capacity. All faculty, staff and students are required to comply with public health requirements.

Learning Mode 4: Instruction is delivered to students digitally only through ASU Sync, iCourses and ASU Online. There is no in-person classroom instruction at all. 

ASU University Housing Modes of Operation

University Housing Mode 1:  Regular Mode of Operation: Residence halls at full capacity.  External visitors allowed in buildings. 

University Housing Mode 2: Limited Mode of Operations: ASU fills residence halls at lowered capacity to provide for flexibility in self-isolation and quarantine spaces.  Guests in residence hall rooms are limited to those within the hall. This is the mode in which ASU started the fall semester.

University Housing Mode 3: Increase security and enforcement; restrict ingress with no external visitors and one guest per room from within the same residence hall at any given time; de-densify higher risk living configurations with communal bathrooms and communal living situations; housing removal for repeat violations; and facilitate single occupancy and process approved housing License Agreement Release requests. This is the mode ASU is currently operating in.

University Housing Mode 4: Essential Only: Students who have no other options will be allowed to request an exemption to live in residence. 

University Housing Mode 5: Closed: No use of residential halls.

ASU Daily Health Check

ASU continues to monitor health check data for students and employees coming to campus. Overall compliance rates remain consistent.  The HealthCheck platform was designed by Los Angeles-based Safe Health Systems, a startup that advanced as part of the Mayo Clinic and ASU MedTech Accelerator.  It is designed to advise users on appropriate steps to take if they are exhibiting COVID-like symptoms, including staying home, contacting a healthcare provider and potentially getting a COVID-19 test.