Possible COVID-19 exposures at Christian Student Center last week

September 16, 2020 at 7:50 p.m. | Updated September 17, 2020 at 4:14 p.m.

by Tierra Hayes, compiler

Staff photo by Troy Stolt / Senior engineering majors Eduardo Baez and Erik Loredo walk toward the University Center on campus at UTC on Aug. 17, in Chattanooga. It was the first day of in-person classes since March, when all University of Tennessee schools moved to virtual classes in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Staff photo by Troy Stolt / Senior engineering majors Eduardo Baez and Erik Loredo walk toward the University Center on campus at UTC on Aug. 17, in Chattanooga. It was the first day of in-person classes since March, when all University of Tennessee schools moved to virtual classes in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19.

The Hamilton County Health Department and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga are warning the community of potential COVID-19 exposures at the Christian Student Center on Monday, Sept. 7-Friday, Sept. 11.

UTC students and community members who attended events at the center, located at 609 Houston St., last week may have been exposed to an infectious individual.

UTC's COVID-19 Campus Support Team is working to track down student contacts who may have been exposed, and all who believe they may have been exposed are recommended to get tested and self-monitor for symptoms, a release states.

UTC students with potential exposure are asked to complete the COVID-19 notification form, which can be found at utc.edu/covidnotify or to call the campus office of Student Outreach and Support at 423-425-2299.

"If you have been exposed to someone with the virus, you should quarantine from others for 14 days, monitor yourself for symptoms and get tested," said health department administrator Becky Barnes in a statement.

In August, the county and university warned of other possible exposure from members of the school's chapter of the Kappa Sigma fraternity in addition to possible exposures at the Douglas Heights Apartment.

According to the school's online dashboard, the school has 75 active COVID-19 cases, which refers to students, faculty, staff members and contractors or visitors with positive or presumed positive COVID-19 tests. In addition, since June 1, the school has 293 closed cases, referencing individuals who have recovered or been cleared after a positive test.

"The university is taking all necessary precautions to protect the UTC community," said UTC chief epidemiologist, Dawn Ford, in the release. "UTC has resources and other information about what happens when a positive case of COVID-19 is reported at UTC."

Free health department COVID-19 testing is available daily from 7-11:30 a.m. at the Alstom Plant, located at 1125 Riverfront Parkway, the release states.

(Read more: Where to get tested for COVID-19 in the Chattanooga region and other frequently asked questions)

The testing site is open to the public without an appointment or referral and free transportation is available.

The health department's COVID-19 hotline can be reached at 423-209-8383 for COVID-19 questions, or to schedule transportation to the testing site.

The hotline is open Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-4 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

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