UVM sees 35 new Covid-19 cases, the highest spike this semester

BURLINGTON — For most of the fall semester, the University of Vermont has enjoyed relatively low positive Covid-19 test results within the campus community. 

But with a spike in cases occurring across the country and the state, the university has just recorded its highest one-week total of cases: 35 students, faculty and staff have tested positive. 

The most recent case count represents almost half of all cases the university has seen since the beginning of the semester. In total there have been 71 positive cases out of 133,870 tests the university has administered since August. 

Over the last week, 27 students, one faculty member and seven staff members tested positive. A total of 11,641 tests were administered. 

While this is the highest number of cases UVM has seen in a single week, it translates to a 0.25% positivity rate. The state’s current positivity rate is 1.6%. The tests were recorded from Nov. 9-15. 

The week before, the university saw six positive cases among students, prompting 30 to be isolated in quarantine. 

The university sent out a press release Monday evening alerting the community of the case count and subsequent changes that will be made due to the rising cases. 

It will allow students to depart campus for winter break before the last day of classes, which is Nov. 24. Students are being encouraged to get another Covid-19 test 48 hours before they leave. UVM has required all students to be tested weekly. 

The university also announced that the start of men’s and women’s hockey and basketball will be delayed until Dec. 18. 

VTDigger is underwritten by:

“It’s critically important that we keep following all the public health guidance to help prevent the spread of the virus,” UVM President Suresh Garimella said in the university’s press release. 

“And we want to make sure that our students are able to safely head home for the holidays,” he said, “where they can act as ambassadors of the good practices that were so effective for much of the fall semester.”

On Friday, Northern Vermont University canceled all events and sports practices at its campuses in Johnson and Lyndon, and shut down its fitness centers, after two students tested positive for Covid-19 and a third had presumptively tested positive.

The positive test results came from commuting students, one each at Johnson and Lyndon. Both had been studying remotely and are now in isolation at home. 

The new cases bring NVU’s total to five positives out of 4,732 tests and one presumptive positive from an offsite testing center, according to the announcement.

Justin Trombly contributed reporting