A COVID-19 outbreak has forced Marist College to restrict movement on campus for at least the next week.

Two residence halls are in lockdown and the dining hall has been closed on the Marist College campus after an alarming number of students have tested positive for coronavirus. The outbreak has happened just weeks after Marist has reopened its campus for the spring semester.

The most recent data released from the school is from Tuesday, which shows 100 active positive cases of COVID-19 at the school.  Out of these positive cases, 39 were residing on campus and 61 are students living off-campus. It's unclear if these numbers have continued to climb or not, since the data was not updated on Wednesday. A representative from Marist College stated that although the numbers have risen, the college’s seven-day positivity rate remains below Dutchess County's.

In response to the outbreak, Champagnat Hall and Marian Hall have both been put under quarantine, with students ordered to stay in their dorm rooms. Residents in both dorms will not be allowed to attend in-person classes.

The entire Marist Campus is now on pause, which means outside visitors are prohibited. The dining hall has also been shuttered, and students are prohibited from gathering with those outside of their roommate group or "pod." In-person classes will continue for students who are not living in the locked-down dorms.

During the week leading up to St. Patrick's Day, the college has attempted to curb large parties and off-campus gatherings due to an uptick in positive cases. A schedule of alternate activities was offered to students including an ice cream social, movie night and a cupcake decorating seminar. It's unclear if those events were successful in thwarting off-campus parties.

In October, Marist saw a spike in COVID-19 cases after Halloween. The campus was also locked down after students were discovered partying without masks or social distancing. Earlier this month Marist was the site of a pop-up vaccination clinic that was successful in getting the Johnson & Johnson shot to thousands of local residents.

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