At least one COVID-19 case at Penn State University Park, DOH reports

Some students have returned to campus for research and athletics training.

• Anne Danahy
  BioRecent Stories

  

  Anne Danahy has been a reporter at WPSU since fall 2017. She was a reporter for nearly 12 years at the Centre Daily Times in State College, Pennsylvania, where she earned a number of awards for her coverage of issues including the impact of natural gas development on communities.
  
  She earned a bachelor's degree in communications from Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and a master's in media studies from Penn State.
  
  She worked as a writer at Penn State, including with the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute. She’s a volunteer host at C-NET, Centre County's government-education access station.

 CREDIT MIN XIAN / WPSU

The Nittany Lion Inn on the University Park campus. Penn State had previously announced it would use the inn to house students with COVID-19, but will now use the building for classes. A dormitory will be used to house students, instead.

(State College) — There is at least one confirmed case of COVID-19 in someone living on Penn State’s University Park campus, according to Wednesday’s report from the state Department of Health.

A department spokesman confirmed that between one and four individuals in the 16802 zip code have tested positive for the coronavirus. The specific number is redacted when there are fewer than five cases in a zip code.

While most Penn State classes and activities are being held remotely over the summer, some students have returned for research and athletics training. As of last week, University Athletics said none of the returning athletes had tested positive for the coronavirus.

Penn State plans to bring its students back to its campuses for the fall semester. While it’s taking steps to slow the spread of COVID-19, many in the community remain concerned about the potential impact.

There are 299 confirmed or probable cases in Centre County, up from 262 a week ago. In the 16801 zip code, there are 64 confirmed and 8 probable cases; in the 16803 zip code, there are 43 confirmed cases and another 1-4 redacted probable cases.

Overall today, Pennsylvania’s cases increased 631 to 103,396, according to the state Department of Health. Today’s numbers do not include data from Philadelphia, which the department said it had not received.

The Department of Health notes it “is seeing significant increases in the number of COVID-19 cases among younger age groups, particularly 19 to 24-year-olds.”

Sometimes, your mornings are just too busy to catch the news beyond a headline or two. Don’t worry. The Morning Agenda has got your back. Each weekday morning, host Tim Lambert will keep you informed, amused, enlightened and up-to-date on what’s happening in central Pennsylvania and the rest of this great commonwealth.

Learn More