Seven new cases of COVID-19 reported Friday at NIU

Northern Illinois University reported seven new cases of COVID-19 Friday, all in students.

That brings the total number of cases to date to 936, although 864 people have fully recovered.

There remain 72 active cases on campus, all but two in students. The school also announced six new recoveries Friday.

The school’s quarantine and isolation use increased to 15.3%.

During the week beginning April 5, a total of 1,953 COVID-19 tests were administered for surveillance testing. There were 23 positive tests and a positivity rate of 1.20%.

As in the fall, students were required to take a COVID-19 test before being allowed to move in to university housing this spring. NIU will post the results in daily totals as they come in.

According to the school, a 14-day quarantine begins after individuals first show signs of COVID-19 symptoms, not when they receive a positive test for the virus. A case is considered recovered after the 14-day period is over.

Although specific surveillance testing results are reported weekly on Mondays, positive tests found through the program are included in daily statistics.

Daily COVID-19 case data from the DeKalb County Health Department may not reflect daily data from NIU because some students or employees may live outside the county and still test positive for the virus.

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