1 Coronavirus Case Found At Framingham State As Classes Begin

FRAMINGHAM, MA — Framingham State University President F. Javier Cevallos on Monday sent a letter to campus detailing the coronavirus situation on campus ahead of the start of classes on Sept. 2.

Since Aug. 21, about 900 students, faculty and staff have been tested at the school — and just one person has tested positive. That's a positive test rate of about 0.1 percent.

The fall semester at FSU will look dramatically different in 2020. Only about 790 students will be living on campus this semester, which is about 40 percent of capacity. Only 52 on-campus residents are coming from out-of-state; in-state students residents mostly coming to Framingham from communities considered low-risk for virus transmission, according to the school.

Almost all FSU classes — about 85 percent — are being offered online, although about 1,226 students are taking at least one in-person class, according to Cevallos. There are about 200 faculty and staff working on campus, which is one-third of the total.

In his letter, Cevallos warned that large off-campus gatherings are forbidden. In recent weeks, more than 20 Holy Cross students in Worcester have tested positive for coronavirus after attending a large off-campus party. Colleges in other states have seen similar outbreaks, including at UConn, Providence College, and thousands at the University of Alabama.

"The University will be strictly enforcing this policy and those in violation will face student conduct charges up to and including removal from campus," Cevallos' letter said.

FSU is also enforcing masks on campus, and requiring students to maintain social distance standards, and to monitor for any coronavirus symptoms.

The Cambridge-based Broad Institute is conducting coronavirus testing for FSU. The school will provide updates on testing stats on the FSU website beginning Sept. 1. The person who tested positive is in isolation at home, the school reported.