'I think we're doing a good job:' Fayetteville State sees decline in COVID-19 positive test rate as in-class learning continues
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- Fayetteville State University is more than a month and a half into the fall semester and is seeing positive COVID-19 test rates decline.
Unlike NC State, UNC-Chapel Hill, or other UNC System universities in the area, FSU has been able to avoid going completely virtual.
However, there are still students on campus, like sophomore Victoria Walker, who are being affected by the pandemic.
"We're all quarantined together; there's five of us in here, so if one of us were to come back positive, the rest of us have been exposed again," Walker said.
Walker told ABC11 she's been quarantined with four other students for the last 24 hours on campus. This came after they were in close contact with someone who tested positive for the virus.
Walker knew of the person being tested weeks ago but didn't get an official email to quarantine until this last weekend.
"We've now been in place where we've gone to class, so we've exposed people to something that could've been prevented," Walker said.
In the last few weeks, university officials have identified two clusters: one at University Place Apartments and the other at Hackley Hall.
FSU updates their COVID-19 web page several times a week.
According to FSU's database, they've had 90 total confirmed cases on campus, 48 of those are still active as of Monday's report.
"This is a good place for them to be, and I think we're doing a good job at managing those outbreaks," Dr. Peggy Valentine, FSU's Interim Chancellor said.
Valentine told ABC11 the positive test rate sits at four percent, an eight percent drop since last month.
Niayah McFadden, a freshman at the university, said the overall response from the campus has been positive in her eyes. "It's great, so I don't have too much of a worry."
McFadden said she was one of the first students to be quarantined. Fortunately, she tested negative, but had to stay in an assigned dorm for two weeks, relying on the university to provide her with meals and necessities, something McFadden says came with its difficulties.
"This is new to everybody, so it's trial and error type thing," McFadden said.
Despite the growing pains, Valentine said FSU will carry on with student housing and in-class learning, until the numbers say otherwise.
