Four UAPB students, two staff test positive for COVID-19

Pine Bluff, Arkansas – Multiple COVID-19 cases have been reported on The University of Arkansas Pine Bluff’s campus this week.

Four students and two staff members are currently in quarantine.

Other universities and colleges across the country have seen cases and now it hits home for UAPB. University officials said they’re in the position where things are manageable.

“This does not include faculty, teaching faculty,” UAPB ​Vice Chancellor Institutional Advancement George Cotton said. “This is students and staff that had no day-to-day interaction with students.”

Just two weeks into school and positive tests for COVID-19 have appeared for the Golden Lions community.

“It’s shocking because I wasn’t expecting nothing like this to happen but at the same time, it’s everywhere,” UAPB sophomore, Eaidrian Millet said.

The cases were reported to university officials on both Monday and Tuesday. Cotton said there is no clear answer to where and when they contracted the virus.

“We do know that the two staff that contracted were community spread, they did not contract the virus on campus,” Cotton said.

Cotton said now all 6 people are off-site in quarantine and there were no faculty to staff transmissions.

Wednesday students reacted to the news about it.

“It’s discouraging,” Millet said.

“It’s expected,” UAPB freshman Trenten Wills said. “When you have the magnitude of students that you have on-campus anything could happen, as long as we’re taking precautions.”

The university has a blended semester with both online and in-person classes and it’s been good for them so far.

“We are urging our students to be extra cautious as well, young people think that they are vulnerable as it relates to this,” Cotton said.

Cotton also has a message for those who may be concerned or worried.

“The University of Arkansas Pine Bluff is doing everything possible to make sure that the students have a safe and welcoming environment,” Cotton said.

In order to keep everyone safe the university is asking for students to be more cautious. The university will host a free testing site for students on campus this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.