NIU weekly COVID-19 update: eight new virus cases

DeKALB – From March 15 through Saturday, Northern Illinois University reported eight new cases of COVID-19: two employees and six students.

The university also reported 10 recoveries among two employees and eight students.

Of the remaining four active cases on campus, three are among students. Since the start of the school year Aug. 19, there have been 1,202 cases of COVID-19 and 1,198 recoveries.

According to the school’s website, all 100% of the quarantine and isolation beds are 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 March 14, 333 surveillance tests were administered, resulting in three positive test results. NIU’s positivity rate is 0.9%.

NIU has a total enrollment of 14,601 for the spring semester, which includes undergraduate and graduate students, and 3,146 students living on campus.

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.

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

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 might not reflect daily data from NIU because some students or employees may live outside the county and still test positive for the virus.