The University reported 20 cases of COVID-19 out of 7,159 undergraduate tests in its COVID-19 dashboard last week, a positivity of .28 percent, up from .16 percent the previous week. One non-undergraduate also tested positive this week out of 1,795 non-undergraduate tests.
In a Friday email to the BC community, Associate Vice President for Student Engagement and Formation Tom Mogan encouraged students to continue following COVID-19 guidelines. Mogan noted that, with Thanksgiving Break approaching, being placed in quarantine or isolation may impact students’ travel plans.
“Any student who tests positive or is designated a close contact of someone who tests positive in next week’s round of testing will be placed in isolation or quarantine protocol potentially through the Thanksgiving holiday,” Mogan wrote. “Therefore, we strongly encourage you to continue to adhere to the health and safety protocols … so that you may enjoy the Thanksgiving holidays with minimal disruption.”
The University’s COVID-19 community positivity rate of .23 percent remains low in relation to the Commonwealth’s positivity rate, which was 3.07 percent on Saturday.
Under new state metrics used to determine individual towns’ and cities’ risk levels, Boston is still in the moderate-risk category for COVID-19, even as cases have increased. Cases also rose in Newton, which remains in the low-risk category.
Boston reported an average of 23.1 daily cases per 100,000 residents between Oct. 25 and Nov. 7—up from 18.4 in the previous two-week period. Newton reported 6.2 cases per 100,000 residents during this same period, up from an average of 5.6.
Boston’s positivity rate for the week of Nov. 2 to Nov. 8 was 7.9 percent. Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh, BC ’09, noted at a press conference last Thursday that the case levels in Boston have not been this high since June.
BC reported that 29 undergraduates were in isolation as of Friday—with 24 in isolation housing and five isolating at home—and that 243 undergraduates had recovered.
The University reported that it had conducted 97,451 total tests, with 286 total positive cases, through Thursday. These numbers include 71,926 undergraduate tests, with 272 undergraduate cases.
Featured Image by Jess Rivilis / Heights Editor
