In a letter addressed to the “Clemson Family” on Friday, Clemson University President Jim Clements reaffirmed the university’s commitment to resuming in-person instruction and campus activities starting in August.

Clements’ commitment comes as DHEC shows 31 new confirmed cases for COVID-19 in Clemson since Monday and 43 overall for the week. The number of new cases has popped up all week in Clemson as some restaurants and business have reported infected employees and have closed their doors indefinitely to fight against the spread.

As The Clemson Insider reported on Thursday, some student-athletes have been re-tested for COVID-19. Sources confirmed to TCI the results came back positive for some of those tested, including new positive results for some members of the football team.

As has been the case since mid-March, Clements said summer instruction continues to be conducted online at Clemson, and most of its employees are still working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Clemson is currently in the early stages of bringing employees back to their workspaces.

Clemson football players, along with the men’s and women’s basketball teams, returned to campus on June 8 for voluntary workouts.

“We remain fully committed to resuming in-person instruction and campus activities starting in August, and the safety of our students, employees and all those who visit our campuses is paramount,” Clements wrote. “Toward that end, we are finalizing health and safety protocols now, with the help of outside medical experts and public health professionals and expect to be able to share a detailed re-opening plan in the next few weeks.”

Clements said they will be adding video recording equipment in 300 classrooms so they can offer live-streaming and recorded video options to go along with in-person instruction.

The University also plans to implement a COVID-19 testing plan and methodologies to alert those exposed to the virus. It is also adjusting its on-campus food service and residence hall structure to help reduce the potential spread of the virus.

“As we prepare for a fall semester, I can’t stress enough how important it is going to be for every member of our campus communities to do their part to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” Clements said. “Social distancing and face coverings have been shown to reduce the chances of you infecting others, especially vulnerable members of our community, and we will stress both in our return this fall.”

Clemson fans, now is the time to support the local businesses.

A great gift for any Tiger fan. Just one of many great items available from Clemson Variety & Frame