76 UConn Students Test Positive For Coronavirus

STORRS, CT — UConn officials announced Tuesday that 76 students tested positive for the coronavirus as part of the school’s dual re-entry testing for the spring semester.

Officials said the testing requirement prevented the introduction of the active COVID-19 cases, largely asymptomatic, into the residential student body as the spring semester started Tuesday.

Students who live in the Storrs and Stamford residence halls were required to test at home between Jan. 10 and 13 and, even if they tested negative there, were tested again in person over the weekend during the spring semester move-in process.

“That procedure caught 56 cases during the at-home testing, and another 20 among students who’d initially tested negative but developed the virus in the meantime before coming back to campus and testing positive on site Saturday or Sunday,” UConn spokesperson Stephanie Reitz said in an email. “UConn also plans to nearly double the amount of student tests conducted during the fall semester (up from 45,000 then to 75,000-plus in spring), along with expanding the pooled saliva testing and wastewater testing throughout spring semester.”

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