COVID-19 Update from the UMass Public Health Promotion Center: Feb. 24

On Thursday, Ann Becker and Jeffrey Hescock, co-directors of the Public Health Promotion Center (PHPC) emailed the campus community, noting a decrease in the campus COVID-19 positivity rate, the continuation of an indoor mask requirement and the availability of a COVID-19 vaccine clinic.

That email is as follows:

Dear Campus Community,

We continue to monitor COVID-19 trends in our community through our symptomatic, adaptive and voluntary testing program as well as wastewater surveillance. The latest COVID-19 testing data for the UMass community from Feb. 16-22 shows 156 new positive cases. The university’s positivity rate is 3.60%, compared to last week’s rate of 7.44%. The state’s seven-day positivity rate is 2.35%.

Individuals testing positive continue to report they are experiencing minimal to moderate symptoms of infection, and there are no hospitalizations to report. We are very encouraged by the overall decline in the number of cases and positivity rate.

Throughout the pandemic we have made our decisions based on federal and state guidance as well as local conditions and the unique aspects of communal life on a large residential campus. We are monitoring the evolving government guidance on mask wearing and will integrate that into our ongoing assessments. While we recognize conditions are improving, our indoor mask requirement remains in effect.

We continue to hold COVID-19 vaccine clinics two days each week. Vaccine clinics are offered on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Thursdays from 1 to 4 p.m. through March 10. Walk-ins will be accepted, but we encourage everyone to book an appointment.

Please continue to monitor yourself for COVID-19 symptoms every day before coming to campus. If you feel unwell, stay home and get tested. UHS has symptomatic testing available for students, or, if you have an unobserved test kit on hand you can drop it off in one of the campus kiosks.

Thank you for all you are doing to care for yourselves and one another, and to support the health of our community.

Sincerely,

Co-Directors of the Public Health Promotion Center (PHPC)

Ann Becker, Public Health Director
Jeffrey Hescock, Executive Director of Environmental Health and Safety