KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Two hotels won't be enough to hold the current number of COVID-19 infected or exposed students at the University of Tennessee, so now it is transforming one of its dorms into an isolation space for up to 582 people.
UT announced Wednesday in a letter Wednesday it is moving students currently residing in Massey Hall out of the dorm next week so it can create more space for students self-isolating due to COVID-19. Massey Hall residents will be moved into vacant spaces in other residence halls.
"This decision is necessary to provide additional isolation housing for campus residents as COVID-19 cases increase dramatically in our campus community," Frank Cuevas said, Vice Chancellor for Student Life.
The Student Health Center will be testing all of the dorm's residents before they move out to prevent the chance of them unknowingly spreading COVID-19 to their new dorms.
Freshman Heather Estep will be moving across the street to a new dorm and a new roommate on Sunday.
"I'm scared, that's for sure, but I think it's going to be fun," she said. "I think that we've all got this ... it's really stressful, but I think it's going to work out for the best."
There are currently close to 1,000 residential students on campus who are self-isolating after either testing positive for COVID-19 or being close to someone who was diagnosed with the virus. Nearly 1,000 other students off campus are also self-isolating.
"I know the sudden changes being made add another level of stress to your semester," Cuevas said. "I appreciate your flexibility and understanding as the university continues to adapt and manage through a pandemic. And I appreciate your helping our relocating Volunteers feel welcome in their new spaces."
In August, the university had signed agreements with Quarry Trail Apartments, 303 Flats, the Hilton Knoxville and the downtown Embassy suites to hold self-isolating students. Neither hotel permitted symptomatic or COVID-19 positive students to stay there.
Once the Hilton Knoxville agreement expired, UT began looking elsewhere. It rented all 89 rooms at the Holiday Inn Express and Suites on Papermill Drive from Sept. 7 to Sept. 18.
Last Friday, Chancellor Plowman said they were looking at consolidating dorm vacancies too.
"For some students between quarantine and isolation, or moving to create more space, this may feel a bit like a semester in motion," Plowman said. "It's not easy, but it's how we're going to get through it."
Since the semester started, UT has seen a rapid and drastic growth of new positive COVID-19 cases among students on and off campus. As of Wednesday, nearly 1,000 students total have contracted the virus — with active student cases growing to 616. Six staff members have also tested positive.