Framingham State Reports Zero Coronavirus Cases

FRAMINGHAM, MA — After a rise in cases at the beginning of the semester, Framingham State University is now reporting zero cases among students and staff either on or off campus.

The school has been reporting cases on a weekly basis since Aug. 21. In the most recent report on Oct. 13, 617 students and staff were tested for the virus with zero positive results. There were also no students or staff in quarantine, and no students or staff isolated on or off-campus.

The school has seen 21 positive cases in students and staff so far this semester. A spike in 12 positive cases was reported on Sept. 8, according to the data.

The university's low positive test rate — about 0.13 percent over the past 30 days — stands in contrast to the larger Framingham community, which remains on the state's high-risk list. The city's 14-day positive test rate is about 3.16 percent.

There have been questions about whether colleges and universities in Massachusetts have contributed to higher coronavirus rates. In some towns that has been the case. An outbreak at Merrimack College in North Andover in late September added 65 cases to the town's total, and pushed it onto the high-risk list. That led the town to ask to be removed from the high-risk list, but Gov. Charlie Baker declined to make exceptions for communities where outbreaks can be traced to institutions.