Stanford reported 183 new student and 57 new faculty, staff and post-doctoral scholar COVID-19 cases for the week of Feb. 7, according to the COVID-19 dashboard.
Compared to last week, case counts have increased by 60% among students and decreased by 54% among employees. As of Monday, 237 students are in isolation, which is 79 more students than were reported on Feb. 7. According to the dashboard, the increase in student cases is largely due to social gatherings.
18,085 Color COVID-19 tests were administered during the week of Feb. 7, which is slightly fewer than the 18,972 tests administered during the prior week. These testing numbers do not include rapid antigen tests. Stanford continues to provide students with Color COVID-19 tests and requires weekly testing for those who are vaccinated. Unvaccinated students must test twice a week.
Stanford’s seven-day positivity rate rose from 1.25% last week to 2.14% this week for students, and it fell from 0.71% to 0.38% for faculty, staff and postdocs. The seven-day positivity rate on campus remains lower than Santa Clara County’s 4.80% rate and California’s 6.20% rate, which both significantly declined since last week.
Of the 57 new employee cases, 36 are included in the University’s testing count, and the remaining individuals tested outside the University’s surveillance testing system, such as through rapid antigen tests, or tested positive earlier than last week but just reported it to the University, according to the dashboard.
“A rise in cases is consistent with increased gatherings as the quarter has progressed,” wrote University spokesperson E.J. Miranda in an email to The Daily. “We will continue to closely monitor the public health situation on campus and update the community on any new protocols or policy changes.”
Peer institutions are experiencing mixed changes in student positivity rates. Dartmouth reported a drop to a 2.9% positivity rate, and Northwestern reported a slight increase to 2.78%. Both are above Stanford’s 2.14% positivity rate.
A total of 2,160 students and 1,784 faculty, staff and postdocs have tested positive through Stanford’s surveillance testing system since Aug. 31, 2020, according to the dashboard.
The University continues to monitor the COVID-19 variants and enforce weekly COVID-19 testing and masking requirements, regardless of vaccination status. Stanford also continues to emphasize that vaccination, testing and masking can prevent serious illness, according to the dashboard.
This article has been updated to include a comment from University spokesperson E.J. Miranda.