Lane County consistently reported low numbers of COVID-19 cases over the summer. Now, after the most recent spike, the 97401 area accounts for 372 of the 1791 cases in the county, according to Lane County Public Health’s COVID-19 case map.

Nicole Levi, a fourth-year student at the University of Oregon living at Parkside Place Apartments on 14th and Hilyard, said she thought students returning to Eugene and gathering after the summer break could have caused the COVID-19 spike in the area. 

“I think what happened was there was a large group of people living in Eugene over the summer, and they were fine,” Levi said. “Then it seems like the COVID hit that first weekend that everyone came back and moved back in at the same time.”

According to data provided on the university’s coronavirus page, 65 cases of COVID-19 were reported between June 12 and September 21, and the daily maximum never exceeded nine cases. 86 additional cases were reported by the end of September. 

“I think people were being a lot more social before school started, like right when everyone came back from their hometowns,” Levi said. “Everyone seemed to be pretty social, like seeing each other because they hadn’t seen each other in a long time.

Jake Jones, a fourth-year student at UO, shared his experience with contracting the virus. Jones said that it had been a few weeks since his quarantine, therefore his case was not counted in the larger spike toward the end of September. However, he did attribute getting it to a wave of students returning to campus.

“My buddies and I have been back for about a month and a half now,” Jones said. “I think it was when there was a new wave of kids, probably from out of state or from Portland or wherever.  Somehow — just through everybody, whatever the pathway is — I ended up getting it.”

Since his diagnosis, Jones spent the recommended two weeks in quarantine at his residence. After experiencing mild symptoms, Jones said he had made a full recovery. After contracting COVID-19, Jones was not contacted by any contact-tracers. 

“I feel like for every person you know, they have five other people who they’ve connected with, so I guess it just had to do with somebody along those lines,” Jones said.

Between Oct. 1 and 7, the university reported 121 new cases of COVID-19 among students and employees. As of now, individuals between the ages of 21 and 30 account for the highest number of COVID-19 cases in Lane County, totaling 426. Individuals between the ages of 11 and 20 account for the second highest number of cases at 340.

According to a survey conducted by the OHA, most state residents wear masks, but some continue to gather socially on a frequent basis. More than 52% of respondents reported that they get together with friends and family inside a house.