Boston College’s weekly COVID-19 undergraduate positivity rate has seen an uptick this week following the holiday weekend, rising from .17 percent last week to .52 percent this week as of the Thursday update of the COVID-19 dashboard. The University reported 17 positives so far this week out of 3,298 undergraduate tests.
The University is testing all undergraduate students this week, according to Director of University Health Services Doug Comeau.
BC has conducted 4,242 tests so far this week, with 18 total positives, a community positivity rate of .42 percent.
A University release said that this week’s rise in positive cases was likely caused by travel over the weekend. The University previously requested that students refrain from traveling during the holiday.
The University’s survey regarding student preferences about the University’s schedule following Thanksgiving Break closed Thursday at 5 p.m., but BC has not made the results public.
The survey asked whether students would prefer to return home for Thanksgiving Break and finish out the semester remotely, or if students would rather remain in Massachusetts—at BC or at home—and complete the semester on campus.
Vice President for Student Affairs Joy Moore said in the email containing the survey that BC would make a decision about Thanksgiving Break by Monday.
Last week, the University saw its lowest undergraduate positivity rate since classes began. The University reported lower rates—.06 percent and .09 percent, respectively—during the two weeks of entry testing of returning students, faculty, and staff prior to the start of the semester.
BC reported that 27 undergraduates were in isolation as of Thursday—with 21 in isolation housing and six isolating at home—and that 177 undergraduates had recovered.
The University reported that it had conducted 56,572 total tests, with 211 positive cases, through Wednesday. These numbers include 39,265 undergraduate tests, with 204 undergraduate cases.
Featured Image by Kaitlin Meeks / Heights Archives
