TAMPA, Fla. — College campuses are empty as students and faculty are currently on Thanksgiving break.

What You Need To Know

  • USF classes, finals remote for remainder of fall semester

  • On campus residents to be COVID-19 tested upon return to campus after winter break

  • USF is faring better in positive cases than other colleges of similar size across the U.S.

At the University of South Florida, classes and final exams will be remote until after the first of the year when the new Spring semester starts.

"COVID is still with us, it's not hone. It's relentless and we need to continue doing everything we can to reduce the transmission," said Donna Petersen, Dean of the College of Public Health and the head of USF's COVID-19 Task Force.

According to a New York Times College Tracker, USF has reported about 899 cases among its three campuses since the pandemic started.

That's far lower than similar-size universities in the state.

For example, according to the tracker:

  • University of Florida - 5008
  • University of Central Florida - 2100
  • Florida State University - 1728​
  • University of South Florida - 899 (3 campuses)

Petersen credits students for taking the pandemic seriously.

"I'm just amazed at how many of them are doing all the right things. When you talk to them they tell us how much their education means to them, how much being able to been campus at all means to them and how much they want us to stay open," she said.

USF hopes to offer about 57% of its courses in-person in the spring but they're also looking at extra precautions.

The school plans to require COVID-19 tests immediately when students return to residence halls on campus after the winter break.

"People may test a couple of days before they come back and they may be negative, but during their transit back to Tampa they may acquire the virus, so this way we have an opportunity to catch them as soon as they get here," said Dr. Joseph Puccio with Student Health Services.

He said infected students would be asked to isolate.

School officials are urging face coverings, hand washing and social distancing during the break.

They hope that these precautions will keep USF running this spring without serious spikes in cases or disruptions.