Leaders warn college students to take coronavirus seriously

Leaders warn college students to take coronavirus seriously

Bringing the total to 4,196.

Right now there are 566 coronavirus cases across the university of alabama system.

8 of them are in huntsville!

Today we heard from city leaders about their thoughts on safety on college campuses.

The also shared the concerns they have here locally.

Waay 31's sophia borrelli is live for us tonight with what they had to say.

Sophia?

Huntsville hospital ceo david spillers says - college students have to take this virus seriously - or they may end up having to take classes online.

David spillers, huntsville hospital ceo: "i think if the students want to stay in school, they need to be careful.

Otherwise alabama schools will have to do what other states are doing and that's go to virtual college classes and then there won't be a lot of people in the bars because there won't be a lot of people around to go to the bars."

Spillers says he has not been in communication with the university of alabama in huntsville about how they are managing coronavirus among the student population.

But he says the schools in the university of alabama system have funds for testing.

David spillers, huntsville hospital ceo: "they have access to the testing they need and i think it's up to each school to manage how they quarentine the patients and what they do.

Clearly it could get out of hand very easily at a college if you get enough of the students that have covid."

Mayor tommy battle says he did have a conversation with the chancellor of the university of alabama system a few months ago about the plans to bring students back to campus.

Tommy battle, mayor of huntsville: "everything i've heard about on campus, things are working very well.

In fact they're given citations if they are not staying seperated enough, they're making sure everyone is wearing masks and everything.

It's the off campus activities that are giving the communiities problems."

We also reached out to the university of alabama in huntsville about if they have had to issue any warnings or citations to students.

We are waiting to hear back.

Live in huntsville - sophia borrelli waay 31 news.

Thank you sophia.

The university of alabama in huntsville says out of the 8 people in quarantine ... only one