Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Total college COVID-19 cases more than doubled in the area over the last week, with Longwood University experiencing it’s highest single-day increase in positive cases to date.

The university was listed Wednesday, Sept. 16, as having 37 cumulative cases of the virus among students, faculty and staff, with 18 active cases.

Longwood’s largest jump in cases came Tuesday evening, when the university’s COVID-19 dashboard reported eight new student cases stemming from tests conducted at the University Health Center. A total of two staff have tested positive for the virus.

Last Wednesday, Sept. 9, Longwood was reporting 17 total cases of the virus, meaning total cases at the university have more than doubled in one week.

On Sept. 16 nearby Hampden-Sydney College on its COVID-19 dashboard listed a cumulative total of 34 student cases of the virus, up 16 from last Wednesday’s total of 18.

The most recent update also displays the college’s first confirmed staff case of COVID-19, with 61 students listed as quarantining.