Campus coronavirus roundup, 4.12.21: A week of low numbers, and a few modest increases

As Idaho’s colleges and universities look to wrap up spring semester, coronavirus case numbers are low on most campuses.

Six colleges and universities reported no new cases, or just a single active case.

Boise State University reported the highest number of active cases, and a slight increase from the previous increase.

Here is this week’s campus coronavirus case roundup:

Increasing

Boise State University. Twenty-seven cases for the seven-day period ending Thursday, up from 24 cases from the previous week. Nineteen of the new cases involved off-campus students, seven involve residential students and one involves an employee.

Other metrics remained mixed. The test positivity rate dropped to 1.4 percent, down from 2.0 percent. Eight of 153 campus isolation beds were in use Friday, up from five the previous week.

Idaho State University. For the seven-day period ending Tuesday, ISU reported 18 new cases, up from 13 the previous week. Sixteen of the new cases occurred on the main campus in Pocatello; 10 cases involved students.

ISU was investigating four new case clusters. The largest involved four staff members.

North Idaho College. Three self-reported cases last week — two involving students, one involving an employee — up from one case the previous week. Since July, 309 students and employees have self-reported a positive test. 

Decreasing

University of Idaho. Another week of low new case numbers. The U of I reported 12 new cases for a seven-day period ending April 2, compared to 14 cases the preceding week.

Positive test rates crept upward, but also remained low. About 1.2 percent of tests came back positive, an increase from 0.4 percent the previous week.

Brigham Young University-Idaho. A sharp decrease during the week. On Sunday, BYU-Idaho reported 11 active cases involving students and one case involving employees, down from 21 active cases on April 4 and 39 cases on Thursday.

College of Southern Idaho. No new cases on campus, after two cases on its Twin Falls campus the previous week.

College of Eastern Idaho. No new cases last week, down from four cases the previous week. CEI has reported a total of 198 cases since August.

Flat

Lewis-Clark State College. For the third straight week, Lewis-Clark reported only one active case, involving a student. No students were in isolation housing.

The College of Idaho. For the fourth successive week, the C of I reported a single active case. One person was isolating off campus. The C of I has reported 112 positive tests for the school year.

College of Western Idaho. For the third straight week, CWI reported no new cases.

Northwest Nazarene University. For the second straight week, NNU reported no new cases last week. The university is tracking one active case. Nine people were under stay-at-home directives Thursday.

Check Kevin Richert’s blog each Friday for a weekly roundup of statewide coronavirus trends.

 

Kevin Richert

Kevin Richert

Senior reporter and blogger Kevin Richert specializes in education politics and education policy. He has more than 30 years of experience in Idaho journalism. He is a frequent guest on "Idaho Reports" on Idaho Public Television and "Idaho Matters" on Boise State Public Radio. Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KevinRichert. He can be reached at [email protected]

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