State College police on Thursday released photos of 60 people they say participated in large-scale gatherings that violated the borough’s temporary COVID-19 ordinance last weekend.
The photos can be viewed here and police are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying those involved.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the State College Police Department at (814) 234-7150, by email or by submitting an anonymous tip through the department’s website. When identifying, the location, case number and image number should be noted.
Those found to have violated the ordinance are subject to a citation and a $300 fine and Penn State students will be referred to the university’s student conduct office for potential sanctions.
As Penn State football kicked off its season at Indiana on Saturday, police were called to and dispersed large gatherings at The Rise, 532 E. College Ave., Penn Tower, 255 E. Beaver Ave., and Here State College, 131 Hiester Street. Photos and videos from each also appeared on social media.
Each of the gatherings had more than 100 people, with little social distancing or mask wearing. The borough’s COVID-19 ordinance restricts, with some exceptions, residential gatherings to 10 people.
‘These illegal gatherings put the health, safety and welfare of our community at risk and puts undue strain on the local healthcare system,’ police said on Monday.
State College and Penn State police have been conducting a follow-up investigation, reviewing video with the intent of issuing citations for ordinance violation.
Through Oct. 25, State College police had issued 82 citations for violations of the borough’s COVID-19 ordinance since its enactment in August.
The gatherings drew concern about what’s to come as the Nittany Lions open their home schedule on Saturday night against Ohio State. Borough and university officials say they have been in contact with ‘numerous’ apartment complex managers and owners that have agreed to restrict access to common areas, maintain on-site management presence and report ordinance violations to police.
“The reckless and irresponsible gatherings that occurred this weekend fly in the face of our efforts as a community to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus,” Penn State President Eric Barron said in a statement on Monday. “We will be working closely with the borough this weekend and throughout the rest of the football season to stop negligent behavior. I’m proud of the efforts of the majority of our students, and I am determined to hold accountable those who would jeopardize not just their own safety, but the safety of other students and of our broader community.”
No fans — aside from players’ families — are allowed in Beaver Stadium this season and tailgating is not permitted anywhere on campus.
College Township Manager Adam Brumbaugh said the township has been in contact with business owners that have large parking lots to inform them of Pennsylvania’s gathering size limitations.
The township also has its own COVID-19 ordinance limiting residential gatherings to 25 people indoors and 250 people outdoors. Brumbaugh said in a statement the township ‘has provided… information to student housing developments detailing the ordinance and stressing the need for masking, social distancing and limitations on gathering sizes.’
Since mid-August, 3,782 students and 13 employees at the University Park campus have tested positive for COVID-19. Though the rate of new cases on campus and in Centre County has slowed since late September, hospitalizations have increased. As of Thursday morning as Mount Nittany Medical Center has a record-high 17 COVID inpatients.
And while Penn State cases had been on a downward trend, the university’s last two updates to its COVID-19 dashboard showed upticks in new positives. As of Tuesday, University Park had at least 276 active cases among students.
Every single Penn Stater needs to act responsibly and take these simple measures over the next few weeks so that we can keep our local communities safe, minimize this increase and send our students home healthy on Nov. 20.
‘…[N]ow is the time to double down on our efforts in masking, social distancing and avoiding large gatherings,’ Barron said on Tuesday. ‘Every single Penn Stater needs to act responsibly and take these simple measures over the next few weeks so that we can keep our local communities safe, minimize this increase and send our students home healthy on Nov. 20.”
