NIU reports 3 new COVID-19 cases Thursday

On Thursday, Northern Illinois University reported three new cases of COVID-19, all in students.

The university also reported three recoveries in students.

There remain 28 active cases on campus, all but three in students. Since the start of the school year on Aug. 19, there have been 76 positive tests and 48 recoveries.

The school’s quarantine and isolation use is 4.08%, with 94 beds still available.

Surveillance testing is done weekly, on a random selection of students and staff on campus via rapid testing, which allows NIU to locate and identify viral spread more quickly. During the week of Aug. 30, 1,905 surveillance tests were administered, resulting in 18 positive test results. NIU’s positivity rate is 0.94%

As part of NIU’s COVID-19 protocol, all students and employees on campus are required to participate in weekly surveillance testing unless they provide proof of vaccination.

According to Gov. JB Pritzker’s new mandates, all higher education students and staff are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19. NIU had approved a similar mandate, including a required vaccine for students living on campus, prior to the governor’s announced mandate in late August.

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.