Boston College reported five new undergraduate cases of COVID-19 out of 2,119 undergraduate tests since the Friday update of its COVID-19 dashboard, a positivity rate of .24 percent.
These numbers include an additional two undergraduate cases and 353 tests added to last week’s totals, whose undergraduate positivity rate remains at .57 percent. BC has so far reported three undergraduate cases this week out of 1,766 undergraduate tests, a positivity rate of .17 percent.
There are 36 students in isolation as of Tuesday, with 20 in isolation housing and 16 recovering at home. BC reported that 383 undergraduates have recovered so far this year.
“I know this can be a stressful time of the year in normal circumstances,” Associate Vice President for Student Engagement and Formation Tom Mogan wrote in an email to the BC community on Friday. “I recognize the challenging public health situation we are facing only adds to the natural feelings of stress and anxiety that might be experienced during the last few weeks of class and final exams.”
With fewer than two weeks remaining in the semester, any student who is contact-traced or tests positive for COVID-19 risks being placed into quarantine or isolation housing past BC’s official closing date of Dec. 21, Mogan wrote in the email.
“Please continue to wear masks and maintain appropriate physical distance in all indoor and outdoor gatherings where members of different households are present,” Mogan wrote. “As has been mentioned in previous communications, students are expected to comply with these regulations in both on-campus and off-campus settings, including restaurants.”
According to the Commonwealth’s weekly dashboard, Newton and Boston remain in the moderate-risk category for COVID-19 transmission.
Newton reported an average of 20.2 daily cases per 100,000 residents between Nov. 15 and Nov. 28—up from 9.1 in the previous two-week period. Boston reported 31.7 daily cases per 100,000 residents during the same period, slightly above the prior two-week incidence rate of 31.5.
Massachusetts, which only officially recommends that people get tested if they have COVID-19 symptoms, have come into contact with someone who tested positive, or live in a high-transmission risk community, reported a seven-day positivity rate of 5.46 percent on Tuesday. Boston reported a positivity rate of 5.1 percent between Nov. 22 and Nov. 28.
BC has performed 127,208 total tests this year, with 448 positives. These numbers include 94,294 undergraduate tests and 419 undergraduate cases of COVID-19.
Featured Image by Jess Rivilis / Heights Editor
