c/o Sam Hilton, Assistant News Editor

The University raised the COVID-19 alert level to yellow on Wednesday, Feb. 16 in response to the rapidly increasing number of students testing positive for COVID-19. As of Thursday, Feb. 17, 158 students currently have active cases of COVID-19, 112 of whom were confirmed positive on Monday, Feb. 14 or Tuesday, Feb. 15. The positivity rate for the week is 4.27%, and the cumulative positivity rate for the semester is 1.69%.

“The cases we are seeing have been asymptomatic or mild—not surprising given that we are a vaccinated and boosted community,” President Michael Roth ’78 wrote in an all-campus email on Feb. 16. “There are extremely low levels of infection among faculty and staff and no sign of spread in classrooms.  Still, while the increased positivity is not cause for alarm, it is important that we stem the spread.”

As a result of the increased alert level, all on-campus dining will provide grab-and-go options only. Roth’s email advised students to eat in their residences or outdoors whenever possible and to avoid unmasked gatherings.

c/o Lila Copeland, Contributing Photographer

While the University will still host performances, athletic competitions, and religious- and academic-related events, all attendees must be properly masked and food is discouraged. Casual social gatherings should be limited to no more than 10 people, with everyone masked.

“I am confident that we’ll clear this latest hurdle, allowing Wesleyan to remain a ‘safe enough space’ for thriving together on campus,” Roth wrote.

The University is continuing to require students to test twice a week, with testing hours from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday each week in Beckham Hall.

Cameron Ryan can be reached at ccryan@wesleyan.edu.