Pitt Issues 'Shelter-In-Place' Order Amid COVID-19 Spike

The University of Pittsburgh has issued a "shelter-in-place" order and is moving to the elevated risk posture amid a surge in positive COVID-19 cases on campus.

The order will go into effect at 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday (March 31), WPXI reports.

Students are advised to only leave their rooms or apartments to attend classes, labs, or clinicals in-person; pick up food; exercise safely; work when necessary and shop for essential and medical items in adherence with the shelter-in-place order.

All group work and student events will be held virtually during the elevated risk posture. Campus dining options will provide takeout service only beginning with Thursday's breakfast service. Residence hall lounges, recreation rooms and kitchens will all be closed Wednesday night in adherence with the "shelter-in-place" order.

“With the U.K. variant B 1.1.7 present on campus and Allegheny County cases rising, we are deeply worried about the possibility that this trend will continue or worsen in the remaining five weeks of spring term,” the campus update said via WPXI. “Of significant concern is that the increase in positive cases since the end of last week is now among our residence hall students.”

University officials' main concern is the Oakland campus as COVID numbers are still low on regional campuses. The order comes hours after Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced the state would expand vaccine eligibility to all residents and relax capacity limits beginning on Friday (April 2.)

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