An additional three Boston College undergraduates have tested positive for COVID-19 since Thursday out of the 968 undergraduates tested, BC reported in the Saturday update of its dashboard. The .31 percent positivity rate represents a continued decrease in new confirmed cases.
The positivity rate for undergraduates this past week stands at .54 percent, with 15 positives out of 2,790 tests. The week before, the University reported 73 cases out of 2,067 tests, a positivity rate of 3.53 percent, prompting concern from students and local officials.
“The numbers are trending downward,” Associate Vice President for University Communications Jack Dunn said in an interview with The Heights. “They’re trending in the right direction.”
The University reports that 59 undergraduates were in isolation as of Saturday, with 26 in isolation housing and 33 recovering at home. Sixty-four undergraduates have recovered.
The Commonwealth reported that there had been a total of 499 confirmed COVID-19 cases associated with higher education in the state as of last Tuesday morning. BC had reported 104 total positives among community members at that point, representing at least a fifth of COVID-19 cases connected to higher education in Massachusetts.
The University conducted more than 4,000 community tests last week, up from the weekly 1,500 tests it had originally planned, and Dunn told The Heights that the University intends to conduct 5,000 tests next week.
Even as the University continues to increase its testing, it won’t be testing all undergraduates weekly. Other local universities including Tufts University, Boston University, and Northeastern University test each undergraduate multiple times per week.
Featured Image by Ikram Ali / Heights Editor
