Nine AACC students and 10 employees have reported that they tested positive for COVID-19 since March. 

Vice President for Learning Resources Management Melissa Beardmore said the nine students who tested positive are enrolled in on–campus classes and the college advised them “to stay home until they are medically cleared.” 

Beardmore said two students have coronavirus now. 

“We’ve handled them appropriately for the safety of the college community,” Beardmore said. 

Hotel, Culinary Arts and Tourism Institute Assistant Director David Ludwig told Campus Current two culinary students tested positive for coronavirus early in the semester.  

“As soon as we learned about the situation, we reported to … the college,” Ludwig explained. “When we reported to them, they connected with the Maryland Health Organization and got direction … to put everyone on a two-week quarantine.” 

“Generally, you’re symptom free within a few weeks,” Beardmore said, so the two students whose coronavirus is active will be able to report to class soon. 

The college requires all students, faculty and staff to sign a form saying they believe they have not been exposed to the virus before coming on campus, Beardmore said. 

The form “documents all the expectations that we have of anyone who comes to campus,” Beardmore explained. “You have to social distance, you have to wear an appropriate mask and, most importantly, if you have [coronavirus] symptoms, you stay home.” 

The form is on the Riverhawk recovery plan webpage.

Some students agreed the college is handling COVID cases correctly. 

“I’m not scared or nervous,” Taiwo Ajayi, a ninth-year communications student, said. “The school’s taken enough preventative measures to stop the spread of the COVID-19 [virus].” 

Second–year communications student Joseph Hayden said he is concerned about the affected students but not surprised to hear some were infected. 

 “Lots of people have gotten COVID,” he explained. “It is just a matter of keeping the numbers down as low as possible, rather than thinking we can truly prevent it from ever reaching people.”