Stanford recorded three new COVID-19 cases in students and one case among faculty, staff and postdocs in the week of Nov. 2. The University also reported that one student-athlete received a positive test but is not included in the week’s data because they are still awaiting a confirmatory test.

The three student cases do not appear to be connected, Stanford said. They mark a slight increase from last week’s two positive tests. The faculty, staff and postdocs cohort saw its first positive case since the week of Sept. 21. 

Provost Persis Drell applauded Stanford’s low prevalence rates, despite the surge in cases being seen “in some other places,” in a Monday message to students. Her note came as Santa Clara County announced a spike in cases on Monday: “It could mean we are in for a large surge that will be difficult to control,” said county Public Health Officer Sara Cody ’85.

5,346 tests were conducted for Stanford students last week, a dip from the previous week’s 5,601 administered tests. The University has now administered a total of 53,697 student tests since late June — of those, 50 were positive, for a positivity rate of 0.09%.

The number of faculty, staff and postdoc tests administered has consistently increased week over week, with 1,923 tests conducted last week, the most recorded so far. The faculty, staff and postdocs cohort has had 14,709 total administered tests with seven positive tests, a positivity rate of 0.05%.

Stanford, which is conducting expansive surveillance testing, has positivity rates lower than that of Santa Clara County — the county reports a positivity rate of 2.81%.

Drell wrote that Stanford plans to proceed with its plan to welcome frosh, sophomores and transfer students to campus for the winter quarter. Students living on campus next quarter will be tested for COVID-19 twice a week at the beginning of the quarter.

“The threat posed by COVID-19 remains very real,” Drell wrote. “We must continue taking steps to protect the health of our university community.” 

Contact Hannah Basali at hbasali ‘at’ stanford.edu.