WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - A cluster of COVID-19 cases has been confirmed at a West Lafayette apartment complex.
Grant Street Station, 320 S. Grant St., is home to "a very small cluster" of cases, says Khala Hochstedler, an administrator at the Tippecanoe County Health Department.
Hochstedler couldn't confirm the exact number of positive cases within the complex, but she says the property manager, Granite Student Living, is being cooperative. It's unclear what is being done to quarantine residents with the virus.
The health department has recommended Granite close all common areas within the building, including the gym and pool. It's unknown when those areas will reopen, according to a sign posted at the entrance of the complex.
The sign notes that highly touched areas and common spaces are being disinfected frequently. Granite CEO Brent Gutwein says hand sanitizer dispensers have been installed throughout the building.
He added that Granite is following the guidance of the health department.
"When they stipulate something, we comply and we do it as quickly as possible," Gutwein says. "We don't want to delay. It's very important to be timely and compliant, so we are just following their lead."
Resident Olivia Willman says she first found out about the cluster by signs posted throughout the building. She says she also received an email on Monday with more information.
"They just said stay in your apartment as much as you can," she says. "If you need to go to class, go to class and come right back. Try to only have two-to-three guests per resident in your apartment, but try not to have, really, guests."
Gutwein says he's not aware of any rule suggesting residents stay in their apartments, adding that it's tough to restrict resident behavior.
Hochstedler says that she's seen similar situations at other apartment complexes in Lafayette and West Lafayette. She declined to release any names, but says the health department has worked with less than five other buildings.
Granite Student Living manages dozens of properties on and off Purdue's campus. About 280 people live in Grant Street Station, Gutwein says.
