NEWS | COVID-19 outbreak confirmed at Hartpury University

Hartpury University and College have confirmed that 33 of its students have tested positive for COVID-19.

Russell Marchant, Vice-Chancellor, Principal and CEO of the educational institution in Hartpury said that the cases were split between “two college students and 31 university students”, with “a 50/50 split of residential and non-residential students”.

“It is critical we all remain vigilant and continue to follow the Hartpury Covid-19 protocol when on-campus, and government guidelines when off campus, at all times.”

Any students displaying symptoms are asked to follow COVID-19 guidelines and to contact their tutor.

A spokesperson for the university said: “We currently have 33 cases in students studying at Hartpury University and Hartpury College, some of whom live on site in Hartpury accommodation and others who live off site. All are being supported by our dedicated support teams as they self-isolate with their households.

“Whilst the number of cases remains relatively low in the context of our student/staff community of nearly 4,800 individuals, we are continuing to work very closely with Public Health England and the Gloucestershire County Council COVID-19 Hub to ensure we are taking all necessary steps to prevent the spread of infection.

“The safety and well-being of our staff and students remains our top priority. We put in place a series of robust measures before welcoming our students back for the new term including: mask zones, hand sanitisation stations, and adherence to the ‘rule of 6’ when socialising. 

“We have also introduced a combination of online and face-to-face lessons for smaller groups and increased the number of places to eat and study spaces on campus, to allow students to social distance.”