Increase In Coronavirus Cases At UConn Mirrors State

STORRS, CT — The University of Connecticut has had its highest single-day positive number since late September, according to a statement from the school. The university said that the cases are scattered and appear not to be related.

There are three new positive cases among on-campus students, nine among off-campus students, and three among employees. The off-campus testing rate jumped to 5.6 percent with these new cases.

Fifteen students are in quarantine on campus with positive and/or symptomatic cases.

Associate Vice President and Dean of Students Eleanor Daugherty wrote in a letter to the college community: "On campus, we continue to be healthy and there is no indication in the wastewater or in testing results that we are seeing a comparable increase in COVID-19. It is also important to note that the recent increase in off-campus positive cases is not affiliated with an event or gathering. This is the reality of COVID-19 as it surges throughout the state of Connecticut, our country, and our world."

This semester UConn has had 224 positive cases among residential students at Storrs, according to the university's COVID-19 dashboard. There have also been 99 cases among off-campus students and 27 cases among faculty and staff during the same period.

The university has prohibited students from attending off-campus social gatherings until Wednesday in response to the new cases.

UConn continues test hundreds of students on a regular day. This includes testing for randomly selected students, as well as asymptomatic on- or off-campus Storrs students who request a test as a precaution.

The news comes after the university announced significant progress earlier this month with a drop in cases.

However, the pandemic has surged again recently across the state. There are now 30 towns in the state's "red alert" zone for the coronavirus, up from 19 last week, as the positivity rate in testing jumped to 6.1 percent.

Towns are designated in the red zone if their daily coronavirus case average goes above 15 cases per 100,000 people.

See related: 30 CT Towns Now In 'Red Alert' Zone As Coronavirus Cases Soar

UConn Reports Significant Drop In Coronavirus Cases