North Andover Reports 76 Cases Due To Merrimack College Outbreak

NORTH ANDOVER, MA — North Andover reported 76 coronavirus cases Thursday, with 65 related to an outbreak at Merrimack College's Monican Hall dormitory.

Including the 65 Merrimack College cases, the town's caseload is the biggest it has been since early June. The eleven unrelated cases is on the high end of the town's case counts since mid-June.

The college reported a 17-case outbreak Tuesday and sent all residents of the dormitory into quarantine. Testing of those residents on their way into quarantine revealed another 47 cases, the college reported Thursday night.

“It’s important to note that these cases were caught and the increased chance of spread mitigated by the college’s aggressive testing protocols and their commitment to safety for both the school community as well as the larger town community,” said Town Manager Melissa Rodrigues in a statement. “Their quick response in closing the affected dorm and implementing their safety plans helped to lessen the impacts and protected all of us.”

The town is likely to be designated a "red" community, indicating high risk of the virus, due to the new outbreak, it noted in a news release.

The 76 active cases brings the town's total to 478, with 361 recoveries and 41 deaths, as of Thursday.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.