By Rachel Galatis
Efforts to halt the spread of the Coronavirus appear to be paying off at Stonehill, with the number of positive Coronavirus cases on campus this past week listed at zero after a month of students living on campus.
Everyone who comes to campus is required to be tested, which includes residents, commuters, faculty, and staff. There are about 3,000 tests conducted each week, according to Craig Binney, the Associate Vice President for finance and operations.
Students said the recent “zero” positivity rate made them feel much safer on campus.
Bridget Gill, a sophomore orientation leader, said that she thinks this is a “good number to have” and that it is a sign that people are taking things seriously.
“I think it is a really good sign and that Stonehill is handling things well considering people are being sent home if they have it or until they get better,” Gill said.
Students and faculty have a designated testing time incorporated into their weekly schedules but can be tested as many times as they would like. Guests are only permitted to be on campus if they are registered and must remain outside of all the residential buildings.
The school gave employees and students the option to “go remote” this semester and attend their classes online over the “Zoom” app. The school is now at about 73% capacity compared to last semester where it was at about 88%.
Gill said she believes that along with the lesser amount of bodies on campus, students obeying the new rules has contributed to the containment of the virus.
“I think that people are following them better than other big colleges. In the long run, it is good for us because we are building immunity,” she said.
The school has been following many of the state's social distancing protocols in order to keep the numbers down, such as requiring masks, placing cleaning stations in every building, and encouraging outdoor seating.
Professor Anne Mattina of the Communication department said that although she was hesitant about teaching in the classroom around students at first, the news of the number zero is reassuring.
“I think the anticipation was worse than the actual teaching portion. I was nervous in advance, but I don’t feel that way anymore,” Mattina said.
Mattina praised the school for its “incredibly detailed plan” and believes that not opening the campus to the public has played a large role in keeping the school safe.
“I think the College did a really good job preparing and when everyone came back people assumed their responsibility and that’s really good,” she said.
The school sends out a campus-wide update every Monday with how many positive cases are on campus. From Sept. 4 through Sept. 11, the number was zero.
Martin McGovern, the Director of media and communications, said people still can’t let their guard.
“If we are to avoid outbreaks and have a successful semester, it is imperative that we all stay on course with physical distancing, wearing masks, washing our hands regularly, and getting tested every week,” he said.
McGovern said the low rate should be used as motivation for everyone keep the campus virus free.
“To ensure the health and safety of our community, we must remain vigilant all every day and every day,” he said.
The next update comes out on Monday, Sept. 21.
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