Ohio college house party-goers cited over COVID-19 concerns

OXFORD, Ohio (KTRK) -- Six men were cited by police last week after a Labor Day weekend college house party that included guests who had tested positive for the coronavirus.

Police in Oxford, Ohio, accused the men of violating the state's mass gathering and quarantine ordinance after they attended the party near Miami University.

VIDEO: Body camera footage shows an officer arriving at a home near the campus and finding men without masks on the porch.

Several students at Miami University in Ohio received a citation after police spotted a party outside a house near campus. At least one of the students told police he had COVID-19 and was in quarantine at the house, the body camera reveals.

One of the men told police that 20 people gathered at the house, which is twice the amount of people allowed to congregate in Ohio. The officer asked the group to disperse while he checked the identification of the residents.

"I've never seen this before," the officer was heard telling the student after running his ID. "There's an input on the computer that you tested positive for COVID?"

The student answered, "yes."

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He also disclosed he tested positive a week before and that every single person at the party had COVID-19, including two people from the house across the street.

"Oh, God. This is what we're trying to prevent," the officer responded. "We want to keep this town open."

The officer questioned why the students weren't practicing a self-imposed quarantine for 14 days, as recommended by state and federal health officials. It wasn't known if the men gave an answer.

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More than 1,000 Miami University students have tested positive for COVID-19 since classes started this fall, according to WKRC.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said in a briefing Thursday that cases at Miami are the reason why Butler County remains at a level 3 on the state's public health advisory system.

The university is still scheduled to start in-person classes Sept. 21.

But, school officials have warned that students who refuse to take a test in a campus-wide sampling will be denied access to campus services and will be forced to return to remote learning.