Positive COVID-19 test numbers drop at Northwestern one-third from week prior
Daily file photo by Angeli Mittal
With a one-fourth decrease in positive tests reported this week, Vice President for Operations Luke Figora wrote in an email the University is ready to resume an in-person modality with another week of testing for students.
January 23, 2022
After a return to in-person instruction and activities, Northwestern’s COVID-19 positivity rate reached its lowest in the last month despite hitting record highs earlier in January.
Out of about 11,500 tests taken this week, 229 came back positive — one-third the number of positive tests from last week’s 686. The positivity rate was 2.01%, representing a 2.8 percentage point decrease from last week’s 4.81%.
Undergraduate and non-undergraduate students accounted for the majority of positive cases at 90 and 85, respectively. Staff constituted 36 positive cases and faculty 18.
The University adjusted numbers Saturday on its COVID-19 confirmed cases graph between Dec. 31, 2021 and Jan. 13 to remove individuals who tested positive for the second time after their five-day isolation period.
Last week, the University reported 356 positive cases from undergraduate students, while the updated dashboard reports 210. According to the note about the edit, this suggests 146 students tested positive when they retested after five days of isolation.
While the University has not mandated another week of COVID-19 testing for students, NU students, faculty and staff are able to receive free, in-person asymptomatic testing at the Donald P. Jacobs Center from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m on weekdays. Those with symptoms should use the northwest side testing entrance at the Jacobs Center to receive in-person testing between 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays.
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