SIU reports first case; student isolated on campus

An SIU student has tested positive for the novel coronavirus and is now in isolation on campus.

University officials report they received information Thursday from the Jackson County Health Department of a resident on campus who tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.

The male, described as in his late teens, is reportedly in fair condition and in isolation at Thompson Point. He is thought to have been exposed to the virus through recent travel to the Chicago area.

The news marks the second laboratory-confirmed identification of COVID-19 in Jackson County. Last week, another case was reported in Williamson County, and on Wednesday, Franklin County announced its first confirmed case.

The number of COVID-19 cases in Illinois has risen dramatically over the past week. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), there were 2,538 individuals confirmed with COVID-19 in Illinois as of Thursday.