Dozens of CCCB Students In Quarantine Or Isolating Due to COVID-19 Outbreak

By Jim Nieman

Central Christian College of the Bible in Moberly, Mo., has switched to online-only instruction for the next two weeks due to a spike in COVID-19 cases among residential students. The change in format will enable the school to reduce the risk of exposing more students to the virus.

The school announced its decision Monday morning.

After the first residential student tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday, another seven students tested positive on Sunday and Monday, president David Fincher and vice president of student development Darryl Ammon said via email.

As of Tuesday afternoon, about 45 percent of CCCB’s residential student population had either tested positive, were isolated with symptoms, or were quarantined due to exposure—the total number was approaching 50.

“The positive COVID cases among the residential population happened very quickly,” Fincher said.

Prior to the on-campus outbreak, there had been four instances this fall where students who do not live on campus tested positive for COVID-19. Additionally, one resident student tested positive on Oct. 8, while he was at home.

Those cases “did not adversely affect the student body because students were able to quarantine at home as soon as they were diagnosed,” Fincher said.

On-campus students who must isolate or quarantine may remain in their room if they were already living in a single. Others who must isolate or quarantine have been moved to single rooms. One entire floor of a residential hall has been set aside for those who must quarantine, the administrators said.

Students have been asked to “wear your masks when you are out of your residence hall rooms and [to] practice good hand-washing hygiene in order to combat the spread of this disease.” The college’s website also encouraged residential students to remain on campus in order to “reduce the exposure as much as possible.”

CCCB’s online-only instruction will continue until Nov. 2. Chapel also is online-only. The college bookstore is closed until further notice. Boxed meals from the dining hall are being delivered to residence halls.

School offices remain open and all employees are encouraged to work from their offices, if possible.

Jim Nieman serves as managing editor of Christian Standard.