College announces mandatory testing is no longer

BY KELLY LEWIS AND JAKE ZABSKI

The College announced via email on March 30 that as of April 8, 2022, mandatory surveillance testing for COVID-19 will cease on campus.

The current protocol is that all students who have not tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 90 days are expected to test once a week at the testing center regardless of symptoms.

This news comes almost a month after the mask mandate was lifted. It appears normalcy is returning to campus, with over 96 percent of the community vaccinated.

Vice President and General Counsel Thomas V. Flynn said that the College’s pandemic response team will continue to monitor trends in COVID-19 positivity and adjust protocols as needed.

According to the COVID-19 Test Results Dashboard on the Stonehill website, the positivity rate is 0.63 percent as of March 27.

According to Mass.gov, The Massachusetts statewide positivity rate is at 2.25 percent, just slightly below the average needed to require weekly testing as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Testing will still be provided to students, staff, and faculty who choose to and for those exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms.

“The Testing Center will remain open through the end of the spring 2022 semester, and hours of operation will remain the same,” the email said.