August 19, 2020
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
A new dashboard launched by Temple University keeps a tab on active COVID-19 cases that are detected in the community on and around the North Philadelphia campus.
Temple University students began moving into their dorms in North Philadelphia this week, embarking on a unusual fall semester that will be shaped by the coronavirus pandemic.
To track the state of the virus on campus, Temple has launched a dashboard that keeps a running tab of active COVID-19 cases.
The dashboard breaks cases down into three categories: on-campus, off-campus and non-campus.
For the university community at large, the most relevant group will be on-campus cases, defined as people who were in a campus building at the time they were infectious. This includes both student housing and other university buildings.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the university counted two total active cases, both on-campus.
All Temple students moving into campus housing are required to take a COVID-19 test at the Aramark STAR complex on campus. Those who test positive are instructed to either return home or self-isolate in university housing for a minimum of 10 days.
The active cases on Temple's COVID-19 dashboard are based on information from Temple Health labs and the Temple University Student and Employee Health Services Electronic Medical Record.
The university also will open a dedicated COVID-19 testing center at the former Under Armour Sideline Shop in Morgan Hall, located on Cecil B. Moore Avenue. The center aims to test approximately 300 students each week, with priority going to those who are symptomatic.
As the semester gets underway, Temple is taking a phased approach to reopening and will follow a range of protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19, from intensive cleaning to mask distribution.
Students, faculty and staff who experience COVID-19 symptoms should contact Student Health Services to discuss health care options.
