Is The Number Real? FAU Spokesperson Did Not Respond To Request For Validity Of Potentially Dated Information
UPDATE: 9:30 a.m. We just heard from FAU Spokesperson Joshua Glanzer. He reports the following: “The data is being fed from our dashboards. The data is updated every 30 minutes on our core dashboard but sometimes the web takes a bit longer to refresh. All updates including any closures will be posted on http://fau.edu/coronavirus/.”
The dates on the website, according to Glanzer, are merely the dates that printed advisories were updated.
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) — At least 12 Florida Atlantic University students and one staff member are infected with COVID-19, according to the school’s public facing Coronavirus dashboard. But questions about the accuracy of the numbers, on a page last updated on August 26th, remain unanswered. FAU spokesperson Joshua Glanzer did not respond to a request for clarity on Wednesday.
FAU is a school run by the State of Florida, raising questions about the independent accuracy of data released to the public. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has repeatedly quoted FAU Professor Rebel Cole, a professor of finance, as an expert on COVID-19. Cole has no discernible medical background and is considered to be a Coronavirus contrarian.Whether Cole has interaction with FAU data released to the public is unclear.
FAU states it has a “virus testing program and contact tracing protocol” in place, but several reports to BocaNewsNow.com call into question what is happening on campus for students who have returned, raising further questions about the significant lag in updates to the school’s COVID-19 website.
The school’s published COVID-19 guide states that isolation beds are available on campus:
“FAU estimated target occupancy rate is 96% which compares to over 100% for the past several years. Also, in prior years the University has contracted with local hotels for the overflow. The University has identified 112 spaces in Boca, and 12 spaces in Jupiter to isolate resident students if needed. Additionally, the University is contracting with local hotels for well students to provide on-campus spaces for isolation if needed. Only well students will be placed in area hotels.”
Let us know what you’re seeing at FAU. Email news (at) BocaNewsNow.com, or use our school reporting news tip center here.
More on Rebel Cole here and here.
