The rec center and weight rooms will remain open for Northern Illinois students, a spokesperson for the school said.

When Northern Illinois University announced it was going online for classes due to a county-wide increase in COVID-19 cases, initially the rec center was also announced as closed.

However, a spokesperson said that the rec center will remain open for student use, and weight rooms will remain open for student-athletes to utilize for individual workouts.

All practices and supports remain suspended until at least Sept. 28.

In a letter to students Friday, president Lisa Freeman said the school moving to online classes stems from mainly undergraduate students who live off-campus contracting the virus at large gatherings or parties.

"We are also aware that some students are not fully cooperating with health officials and following guidelines on reporting symptoms and potential exposure," Freeman said. "These careless and unacceptable activities have led to a substantial increase in the overall positivity rate for DeKalb County and put our entire community at risk."

Freeman said students living on campus should remain in their residences as much as possible.