University Health Services has reported a total of 16 positive COVID-19 cases this week, including 12 undergraduates, out of 7,967 tests conducted, resulting in a community positivity rate of 0.20%. The Massachusetts weekly positivity rate stands at 1.8%.
The increase from Thursday was attributed to six students–who were already in quarantine as a result of contact tracing–converting to positive cases. Currently, there are 25 BC undergraduates in isolation—14 in University isolation housing and 11 recovering at home. A total of 213 undergraduates have recovered and returned to normal activities.
Since testing began on August 16, University Health Services has conducted 78,477 tests of BC community members with a total of 249 positive cases reported. Among undergrads, UHS has conducted 56,871 tests with 238 positives. The University’s cumulative positivity rate stands at 0.31 percent. By comparison, Boston University has reported 237 total positive cases, Providence College 262, Northeastern University 165, and University of Notre Dame 1,092.
The University announced in mid-October that it was giving students the option of leaving Boston College and the state of Massachusetts for Thanksgiving break and completing their courses and finals remotely from home, or remaining at BC or elsewhere within the Commonwealth for Thanksgiving and finishing the semester on campus. The decision was informed by a survey BC conducted the week before to ascertain students’ travel preferences for Thanksgiving break and the remainder of the fall semester. Students have until November 13 to report their decision to the Office of Residential Life.
In addition to daily symptomatic testing conducted through University Health Services and The Broad Institute, asymptomatic testing is performed on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, in the MAC Courts in the Margot Connell Recreation Center. Testing results are posted the following day upon receipt from The Broad Institute on the Reopening BC website: bc.edu/reopen.
The weekly community test totals and community positivity rates since testing began are as follows:
• 7,681 tests Week of August 16-23. Positivity Rate 0.04%
• 10,127 tests Week of August 24-30. Positivity Rate 0.08%
• 4,322 tests Week of August 31-September 6. Positivity Rate 0.60%
• 2,972 tests Week of September 9-13. Positivity Rate 2.46%
• 4,639 tests Week of September 14-20. Positivity Rate 0.37%
• 8,359 tests Week of September 21-27. Positivity Rate 0.49%
• 7,040 tests Week of September 28-October 4. Positivity Rate 0.18%
• 7,187 tests Week of October 5-11. Positivity rate 0.16%
• 9,760 tests Week of October 12-18. Positivity Rate 0.25%
• 8,420 tests Week of October 19-25. Positivity Rate 0.17%
University Communications / October 30, 2020
