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Colleges Become Reservoirs of Covid Ready to Spill Over

Schools struggle to contain virus before Thanksgiving break
‘It has been a debacle, a national catastrophe,’ expert says

Incoming freshmen wait in line while arriving on campus at University of Colorado Boulder. — Incoming freshmen wait in line while arriving on campus at University of Colorado Boulder.
Photographer: Mark Makela/Getty Images

By

Emma Court, and

September 21, 2020, 11:00 AM UTCUpdated onSeptember 21, 2020, 5:13 PM UTC

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College administrators and government officials summoned students back to campus. Now, they are presiding over viral reservoirs poised to release a flood of infected undergraduates at Thanksgiving -- if they make it that far.