By Abagail Chartier
Faculty received an email this morning from Provost DeBrenna Agbényiga about an outbreak of 15 COVID-19 positive cases on campus in just one day.
According to the email, these cases were recorded on Monday. Agbényiga stressed the concern for these numbers that have been increasing since the start of the spring semester.
Last week saw nine positive cases on campus out of the over 2,000 tested, according to the Stonehill testing dashboard on the website, with 17 cumulative positive cases since the start of classes on January 24. Monday’s 15 puts the numbers at 32, a count that is approaching last semester’s grand total of 36 cases only nine days into the semester.
Agbényiga said that contact tracing is being done in the testing center to find all those who may have been exposed to COVID through close contact with other students.
She said that some of the 15 new cases were already in quarantine as they were close contacts with positive cases from the first week.
“All on-campus face-to-face learning will continue, but I am working closely with Senior Leadership and our medical experts to assess positive cases, our positivity rates and how to control and protect our community during this challenging time.” Agbényiga said in the email.
Agbényiga’s email echoes emails sent to students on Monday morning from Dean of Student Affairs Kevin Piskadlo as well as Student Body President and senior Abe Medeiros.
“Over the first week on campus, we are witnessing a concerning increase in poor decision making around socializing, mask wearing, and social distancing.” Piskadlo said.
The Dean then continued to warn that if there is no change, in-person learning could be taken away.
Medeiros particularly warned seniors about what they could face if things do not change.
“As a senior, it’s troubling to me that there is a real possibility that my class of 2021 might not be able to finish our final semester in person,” Medeiros said, noting that students could be sent home as other colleges have been. “I know that we don't think it can happen to us, especially since we did so well this past fall. Clearly, we may be wrong.”
On Tuesday morning, residential students received emails from their residential directors regarding mandatory emergency meetings held over Zoom to discuss the rise in cases. More information will be published when these meetings take place tonight.
In the meantime, students are reminded to follow social distancing practices, properly wear their masks, and follow the Stonehill Promise all students signed at the beginning of the year in order to protect our campus.
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