One hundred University residents to be relocated for proactive COVID-19 response
Photo Courtesy of University of Illinois
Barton-Lundgren Hall, located on South 4th Street, stands tall on a summer day.
September 5, 2020
One hundred University residents in Barton-Lundgren Halls have been asked to relocate to another residence hall by Sept. 13 in order to open up two full halls for additional COVID-19 response, should it be needed, according to Chelsea Hamilton, senior assistant director for communications and marketing at the University, through WPGU News.
For their cooperation, Barton-Lundgren residents have the ability to choose a new room in the residence hall of their choice and will receive a single room at the cost of the double Barton-Lundgren room.
“This year, we have experienced lower than normal occupancy numbers, especially in Barton-Lundgren. Couple that, with on-campus COVID cases rising, and we felt that is was important to act proactively, and consolidate Barton-Lundgren residents into our other residence halls,” Hamilton told WPGU News in an email.
Barton-Lundgren can house 236 students at maximum capacity. For a freshman at the University, the cost of living in a Barton-Lundgren double room with a 10 meal, 45 credit plan is $11,898 for the academic year, one of the lowest rates on campus.
COVID-19 cases have surged on campus since move-in, with over 1,000 new cases identified through saliva tests since classes began on Aug. 24.
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Nearly 450 University Housing rooms have been reserved for students to quarantine or isolate for COVID-19. Around 800 students are quarantining for confirmed or potential exposure to the coronavirus on and off campus, University officials said Wednesday.