UW faculty worried about fall semester as virus surges

MADISON — University of Wisconsin-Madison instructors are growing more worried that the campus can't reopen safely this fall as the coronavirus continues to surge among young people.

The university plans to reopen as scheduled but classes with more than 100 students will be held online only and all in-person instruction will stop at Thanksgiving to prevent students from bringing the virus back to campus following the break.

The Wisconsin State Journal reports that UW-Madison's chapter of the Association of American University Professors released a survey Thursday that found nearly half of respondents weren't confident campus can re-open safely. Almost 60% said all instruction should be offered online only and another 30% said the instructor should be allowed to decide whether to teach in-person or online.

A fifth of respondents said they're considered to be high-risk for COVID-19 and a third said at least one family member or person they live with is considered high-risk.

Nearly half of Dane County's new cases over the past two weeks were found in individuals between the ages of 18 and 25. Many cases were traced back to bars, health officials said.