The University reported 28 new undergraduate cases of COVID-19 out of the 1,646 undergraduate tests since the Thursday update of its COVID-19 dashboard, a positivity rate of 1.70 percent.
Monday’s dashboard update reported 10 new undergraduate cases from last week bringing last week’s total to 40 undergraduate cases, a positivity rate of .84 percent, up from .67 percent on Thursday.
Tuesday’s dashboard update brought the seven-day undergraduate positivity rate up to 1.15 percent, up from .63 percent from Thursday’s update.
In an email on Monday, Executive Vice President and Acting Vice President for Student Affairs Michael Lochhead urged the Boston College community to continue abiding by COVID-19 guidelines as the semester comes to an end.
“Boston College has such a vibrant and caring community, and we need to safeguard it and avoid jeopardizing the remaining weeks of in-person classes now and in the second semester,” Lochhead wrote. “On behalf of the BC Community, I especially ask students to make sure they do not let their guard down, particularly in social settings, and that they continue to help protect all of us from COVID-19 and its spread.”
In an email to students on Friday, Associate Vice President for Student Engagement and Formation Tom Mogan cited students’ dining out and “table hopping” as a main reason for the recent rise in positive cases, and said that students are expected to comply with state regulations and the spirit of the Eagles Care Pledge when dining out.
Lochhead also announced in an email on Monday that BC will not be holding its annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony on Dec. 1 in an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19.
Sixty-two undergraduates were in isolation housing as of Tuesday after testing positive for COVID-19, down from 87 on Thursday. Of the undergraduates in isolation, 46 are in BC isolation housing and 16 are recovering at home.
When asked how many students are currently in quarantine, Senior Associate Director of University Communications Ed Hayward declined to give a number.
The University reported in its Tuesday update that it had conducted 118,118 total tests this semester, with 418 total positive cases, through Monday. These numbers include 87,422 undergraduate tests, with 397 positive undergraduate cases.
The University said in a Monday release that the rise in cases reflects increased positive test results nationwide. The seven-day Massachusetts positivity rate came in at 3.02 percent on Tuesday.
December 2, 2020 3:30 p.m. Correction: The first sentence has been updated to include the accurate number of tests performed and the corresponding positivity rate.
Featured Image by Jess Rivilis / Heights Editor
