TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida State University in Tallahassee reported that in the seven-day period ending Sept. 4, 3,429 tests were performed at a local civic center and 724 individuals tested positive for a positivity rate of 21.1%. Overall 839 students and 14 employees have tested positive since Aug. 2.

The spike comes after several social media posts showing photos and videos of off-campus student parties with no social distancing and few, if any, masks.

The university emailed a statement saying that the “administrators are disappointed to see the public health guidance provided on multiple occasions has been disregarded by many.”

The statement continued: “FSU is again requesting local establishments and apartment complexes step in with appropriate restrictions where off-campus students are congregating.”

The university, which has almost 44,000 enrolled students, responded to the increase by prohibiting tailgating at Saturday’s football game, telling fraternities and sororities they can’t have non-member guests and reducing the size and number of student events. Florida State plans to begin random coronavirus testing next week.

By comparison, the University of Florida in Gainesville, which had more than 56,500 students enrolled last year, has been reporting test results since May 6. As of Tuesday, 338 students and 28 employees have tested positive. But of the 1,253 students tested at the campus health center, 272 tested positive for a positivity rate of 21.7%