Editor’s Note (March 7, 2022): This blog is no longer being regularly updated. Its contents have been preserved below.
Active COVID-19 cases continue their minor fluctuations, rising by one between Wednesday and Friday.
The Dartmouth will post short COVID-19 updates here throughout the 2022 winter term. Major developments, such as policy announcements, may be posted separately as their own article. Check back here and at thedartmouth.com for updates on current case counts and other campus developments.
Active COVID-19 cases rise by 1 to total of 55
March 6 | 6:30 p.m.
On Friday, active cases of COVID-19 climbed by one to 55, according to the COVID-19 Dashboard. This number includes 30 undergraduate students, up three from Monday; 13 graduate and professional students, down one; and 12 faculty and staff, down one.
In the last seven days, the College has detected 112 positive test results for COVID-19, which includes 62 undergraduate students, 23 graduate and professional students and 27 faculty and staff. Currently, 59 people are isolating on campus or in the Upper Valley, up three from Wednesday.
Over the last week, the College administered 5,098 total tests for COVID-19, of which 117 came back positive, a 2.3% positivity rate. This number is up 0.1% from Wednesday and down 0.7% from the week of Feb. 7.
Active COVID-19 cases drop by 14 from Monday to winter term low of 54
March 2 | 10:15 p.m.
Early this week, active COVID-19 cases fell to 54 on Wednesday from 68 on Monday, according to the COVID-19 Dashboard — a record low case count for winter term. This number includes 27 undergraduate students, down 11 from Monday; 14 graduate and professional students, down three; and 13 faculty and staff, no change.
In the last seven days, the College has detected 125 new cases of COVID-19, including 74 undergraduate students, 26 graduate and professional students and 25 faculty and staff. 56 people are isolating on campus or in the Upper Valley, down 21 from Monday.
Over the past week, the College also administered 5,339 tests for COVID-19. 119 came back positive, a positivity rate of 2.2%, down 0.3% from Monday and 0.8% from the week of Feb. 7.
Active COVID-19 cases drop by 21 over weekend to winter record low of 68
March 1 | 6:00 a.m.
Over the weekend, active COVID-19 cases fell to 68 on Monday from 89 on Friday, according to the COVID-19 Dashboard — the lowest case count of the winter term so far. This number includes 38 undergraduate students, down 14 from Friday; 17 graduate and professional students, down six; and 13 faculty and staff, down one.
In the last seven days, the College has detected 136 new cases of COVID-19, including 90 undergraduate students, 26 graduate and professional students and 20 faculty and staff. 77 people are isolating on campus or in the Upper Valley, down 21 from Friday.
In the preceding week, the College also administered 5,961 tests for COVID-19, of which 151 came back positive for a positivity rate of 2.5% — the same rate as Friday.
Active COVID-19 cases climb by 3 to 89
Feb. 27 | 9:00 p.m.
On Friday, active COVID-19 cases increased to 89 from 86 on Wednesday, according to the COVID-19 dashboard. This number includes 52 undergraduate students, down three from Wednesday; 23 graduate and professional students, up two; and 14 faculty and staff, up four.
In the last seven days, the College has detected 141 new cases of COVID-19, including 92 undergraduate students, 28 graduate and professional students and 21 faculty and staff. 98 people are isolating on campus or in the Upper Valley, up nine from Wednesday.
In the preceding week, the College also administered 6,292 tests for COVID-19, of which 157 came back positive for a positivity rate of 2.5% — down 0.2% from Wednesday.
Active COVID-19 cases rise slightly to 86 on Wednesday
Feb. 24 | 6:00 a.m.
On Wednesday, active cases of COVID-19 rose to 86, according to the COVID-19 Dashboard. This is up three from Monday’s 83, and up ten from last Friday’s record low of 76. This number includes 55 undergraduate students, down 11; 21 graduate and professional students, up seven; and 10 faculty and staff members, up seven.
In the last seven days, the College has seen 153 active cases of COVID-19 among 111 undergraduate students, 24 graduate and professional students and 18 faculty and staff. 89 people are isolating on campus or in the Upper Valley, up six from Monday.
The College administered 6,290 tests for COVID-19 in the last seven days, of which 167 came back positive — a 2.7% positivity rate, up by 0.2% from Monday.
Active COVID-19 cases rise slightly to 83
Feb. 22 | 6:00 a.m.
Over the weekend, active cases of COVID-19 rose by seven to 83, according to the COVID-19 Dashboard. This number includes 66 undergraduate students, up seven; 14 graduate and professional students, up five; and three faculty and staff members, down five.
In the last seven days, the College has seen 148 active cases of COVID-19 among 120 undergraduate students, 17 graduate and professional students and 20 faculty and staff. 83 people are isolating on campus or in the Upper Valley.
The College administered 5,943 tests for COVID-19 in the last seven days, of which 148 came back positive — a 2.5% positivity rate, down by 0.1% from Friday.
Active COVID-19 cases fall by three to new record low of 76
Feb. 20 | 6:30 p.m.
On Friday, active cases of COVID-19 fell by three to 76 — another record low for the term — according to the COVID-19 Dashboard. This number includes 59 undergraduate students, down eight; nine graduate and professional students, up six; and eight faculty and staff members, down one.
In the last seven days, the College has detected 167 new cases of COVID-19, including 123 undergraduate students, 13 graduate and professional students and 31 faculty and staff. 76 people isolate on campus or in the Upper Valley.
The College administered 5,796 tests for COVID-19 in the last seven days, of which 150 came back positive, for a 2.6% positivity rate — up by 0.1% from Thursday.
Active COVID-19 cases hold steady at 79
Feb. 18 | 12:00 a.m.
The active number of COVID-19 cases on Thursday remained at 79 — the same as Wednesday’s record low for the term — according to the COVID-19 Dashboard. This number includes 67 undergraduates, down one; three graduate and professional students, the same as Wednesday; and nine faculty and staff members, up one.
Over the last seven days, 169 new cases have been reported: 124 among undergraduate students, 13 among graduate and professional students and 32 among faculty and staff members.
80 individuals are isolating on or off campus as of Thursday, the same as Wednesday. Out of the 5,689 tests conducted in the last seven days, 144 came back positive, a positivity rate of 2.5%, continuing a downward trend from the previous weeks.
Active COVID-19 cases fall to 79, another record low for the term
Feb. 17 | 6:00 a.m.
According to the COVID-19 Dashboard, the active number of COVID-19 cases on Wednesday decreased by 16 to 79, down from 95 on Tuesday and 94 on Monday. This number includes 68 undergraduates, down 11; three graduate and professional students, down one; and eight faculty and staff members, down four.
Over the last seven days, 176 new cases have been reported, with 128 among undergraduate students, 13 among graduate and professional students and 35 among faculty and staff members.
A total of 80 individuals are isolating on or off campus as of Wednesday, down 17 from Tuesday’s 97. Out of the 5,796 tests conducted in the last seven days, 164 came back positive, a positivity rate of 2.8%. This is down from the 3.0% positivity rate from last week and the 5.0% positivity rate for the week of Jan. 31.
Active COVID-19 cases stay stable below 100
Feb. 15 | 11:40 p.m.
According to the COVID-19 Dashboard, the active number of COVID-19 cases on Tuesday increased slightly to 95, up from 94 on Monday. This number includes 79 undergraduates, up three; four graduate and professional students, no change; and 12 faculty and staff members, down two.
Over the last seven days, 176 new cases have been reported, with 125 among undergraduate students, 14 among graduate and professional students and 37 among faculty and staff members.
A total of 97 individuals are isolating on or off campus as of Tuesday. Out of the 4,936 tests conducted in the last seven days, 164 came back positive, a positivity rate of 3.3%.
Active cases dip below 100 for the first time since before winter term
Feb. 14 | 11:40 p.m.
On Monday, the number of active COVID-19 cases fell by 38 from Friday to 94, according to the COVID-19 Dashboard. This number includes 76 undergraduate students, down 23; four graduate and professional students, down eight; and 14 faculty and staff members, down seven.
In the last seven days, the College has detected 222 new cases of COVID-19 among 161 undergraduate students, 17 graduate and professional students and 44 faculty and staff members. 97 people are currently in isolation on campus or in the Upper Valley.
Also in the last seven days, 184 tests have come back positive out of 6,266 tests administered — a 2.9% positivity rate, down from Friday’s 3.2%.
Active cases increase to 132, up five from Thursday
Feb. 12 | 6:00 a.m.
On Friday, the number of active COVID-19 cases rose by five to 132 cases, according to the COVID-19 Dashboard. This number includes 99 undergraduate students, up 11; 12 graduate and professional students, up two; and 21 faculty and staff members, down eight. Cases are now up 11 from Wednesday’s 121, which marked a low for the term so far.
In the last seven days, the College has detected 303 new cases of COVID-19 among 217 undergraduate students, 33 graduate and professional students and 53 faculty and staff members. 135 people are currently in isolation on campus or in the Upper Valley.
In the last seven days, the College has detected 184 positive cases of COVID-19 out of 5,807 tests administered — a 3.2% positivity rate, a slight decrease from Thursday’s 3.4%.
Active cases rise slightly to 127, up six from Wednesday
Feb. 11 | 6:00 a.m.
After Wednesday’s record low for the term, on Thursday, the number of active COVID-19 cases rose by six to 127 cases. This number includes 88 undergraduate students, up five; 10 graduate and professional students, down one; and 29 faculty and staff members, up two.
In the last seven days, the College has detected 346 new cases of COVID-19 among 253 undergraduate students, 36 graduate and professional students and 57 faculty and staff members. 131 people are currently in isolation on campus or in the Upper Valley.
In the last seven days, the College has detected 209 positive cases of COVID-19 out of 6,139 tests administered — a 3.4% positivity rate, down from Wednesday’s 4.1%.
Active COVID-19 cases fall to 121, lowest of winter term
Feb. 9 | 10:45 p.m.
The number of active COVID-19 cases on campus fell by 26 to 121 on Wednesday, down from Tuesday’s 147. Two weeks ago on Wed., Jan. 26, the number of active cases stood at 506.
Wednesday’s figure marks the lowest case count since the term began on Jan. 3, when there were 126 active cases reported on the COVID-19 Dashboard. At its peak, this winter’s outbreak reached 783 active cases on Jan. 21, over six times the current level and dwarfing last winter’s outbreak, which reached 143 cases in early March of 2021.
The 121 active cases include 83 undergraduates, down 20 from Tuesday; 11 graduate and professional students, down three; and 27 faculty and staff members, down three. Over the last seven days, 339 new cases have been reported, with 235 among undergraduates, 36 among graduate and professional students and 58 among faculty and staff members.
On Wednesday, a total of 124 individuals — including 83 undergraduates, 11 graduate and professional students and 30 faculty and staff members — are isolating on or off campus. 220 out of the 5,389 tests conducted over the last seven days have come back positive, a rate of 4.1%. This is down from the 5% positivity rate from last week and the 9.1% positivity rate for the week of Jan. 24.
Active cases grow by one on Tuesday
Feb. 9 | 12:00 a.m.
The number of active COVID-19 cases on campus remained stable on Tuesday, increasing by only one to 147. This number includes 103 undergraduates, 14 graduate and professional students and 30 faculty and staff members. Over the last seven days, 331 new cases have been reported, with 237 among undergraduates, 39 among graduate and professional students and 55 among faculty and staff members.
As of Tuesday, a total of 149 individuals — including 103 undergraduates, 14 graduate and professional students and 32 faculty and staff members — are isolating on or off campus. 277 out of the 6,199 tests conducted over the last seven days have come back positive, a positivity rate of 4.5%. This is down from the 5% positivity rate from last week and the 9.1% positivity rate for the week of Jan. 24.
Active COVID-19 cases fall sharply over weekend from 269 to 146
Feb. 8 | 6:00 a.m.
Active COVID-19 cases fell drastically from 269 on Friday to 146 on Monday, according to the COVID-19 dashboard. This number includes 100 undergraduate students, down 103 from Friday; 13 graduate and professional students, down 21; and 33 faculty and staff members, up one.
Over the last seven days, the College has detected 410 new cases of COVID-19: 303 undergraduate students, 44 graduate and professional students and 63 faculty and staff. Currently, 150 people are isolating on campus or in the Upper Valley.
Out of 6,360 total tests administered in the last seven days, 319 tests have come back positive, a positivity rate of 5%.
Active COVID-19 cases rise by three to 269 on Friday
Feb. 6 | 9:00 a.m.
Active COVID-19 cases climbed by only three to 269 cases on Friday, according to the COVID-19 dashboard. This number includes 203 undergraduate students, up six from Thursday; 34 graduate and professional students, up one; and 32 faculty and staff members, down four.
Over the last seven days, the College has detected 586 new cases of COVID-19 among 460 undergraduate students, 68 graduate and professional students and 78 faculty and staff. Currently, 276 people are isolating on campus or in the Upper Valley, up four from Thursday.
Out of 6,719 total tests administered in the last seven days, 448 tests have come back positive, a positivity rate of 6.7%.
Active COVID-19 cases sit at 266 for second day in a row
Feb. 3 | 10:55 p.m.
Active cases on campus remained at 266 on Thursday — the same from Wednesday — according to the COVID-19 dashboard. This number includes 197 undergraduates, down three; 33 graduate and professional students, down one; and 36 faculty and staff members, up four from Wednesday.
In the last seven days, the College has detected 681 new cases of COVID-19, including 509 among undergraduate students, 82 among graduate and professional students and 90 among faculty and staff members. As of Thursday, 273 people in total are isolating either on campus or off campus in the Upper Valley, up one from Wednesday.
Among the 6,791 tests conducted over the last seven days, 477 came back positive, a positivity rate of 7%. This number is down from 9.1% in the week of Jan. 23 and 13.4% in the week of Jan. 16.
Active COVID-19 cases fall by 50 to 266
Feb. 2 | 10:35 p.m.
The COVID-19 dashboard reported that active cases on campus fell to 266 on Wednesday, a decrease of 55 from the 321 cases on Tuesday. This number includes 200 undergraduates, 34 graduate and professional students and 32 faculty and staff members.
In the last seven days, the College has detected 686 new cases of COVID-19, including 518 among undergraduate students, 80 among graduate and professional students and 88 among faculty and staff members. As of Wednesday, 272 people in total are isolating either on campus or off campus in the Upper Valley, down from 328 on Tuesday.
Among the 5,301 tests conducted over the last seven days, 546 came back positive, yielding a positivity rate of 10.3%. This number is up from 9.1% in the week of Jan. 23 and down from 13.4% in the week of Jan. 16.
Active COVID-19 cases inch upward to 321
Feb. 1 | 11:50 p.m.
The COVID-19 dashboard reported that active cases on campus increased slightly from 319 on Monday to 321 on Tuesday. This number includes 247 undergraduates, 35 graduate and professional students and 39 faculty and staff members.
In the last seven days, 680 new cases of COVID-19 have been detected, including 515 among undergraduate students, 76 among graduate and professional students and 89 among faculty and staff members. As of Tuesday, 328 people in total are isolating either on campus or off campus in the Upper Valley.
Among the 7,306 tests conducted over the last seven days, 590 came back positive, yielding a positivity rate of 8.1%. This number is down from 9.1% in the week of Jan. 23 and 13.4% in the week of Jan. 16.
Active cases sharply decline from 544 to 319 over the weekend
Jan. 31 | 10:45 p.m.
On Monday, the COVID-19 Dashboard reported 319 active cases, a drop of 225 from Thursday. This number includes 245 undergraduate students, down 171; 31 graduate and professional students, down 36; and 43 faculty and staff, down 18.
328 people are in isolation on or off campus, down 233 from Thursday, including 214 undergraduates who are isolating on campus and 31 who are isolating off campus in the Upper Valley.
In the last seven days, 7,742 tests have been administered. 702 tests have come back positive, a positivity rate of 9.1%. This is down from a high of 13.4% the week of Jan. 16.
Active cases increase to 544 on Friday, up 24 from Thursday
Jan. 29 | 6:00 a.m.
On Friday, the COVID-19 Dashboard reported 544 active cases, a rise of 24 from Thursday. This number includes 416 undergraduate students, up 11; 67 graduate and professional students, up 10; and 61 faculty and staff, up three.
561 people are in isolation on or off campus, up 24 from Thursday, including 367 undergraduates who are isolating on campus and 49 who are isolating off campus in the Upper Valley.
In the last seven days, 8,152 tests have been administered. 913 tests have come back positive, a positivity rate of 11.2%. Since Thursday, the percentage of the 7-day positivity rate has dropped by 0.4 percentage points.
Active cases increase slightly to 520, up from Wednesday’s 506
Jan. 28 | 6:00 a.m.
On Thursday, the COVID-19 dashboard reported a total of 520 active cases, a slight increase of 14 cases from Wednesday’s 506. The total number includes 405 undergraduates, up five; 57 graduate and professional students, up five; and 58 faculty and staff members, up four from Wednesday.
537 people are in isolation on or off campus, up from 522 on Wednesday. The figure includes 361 undergraduates isolating on campus and 44 who isolating off campus.
Of the 8,329 tests administered in the last seven days, 970 have come back positive, a positivity rate of 11.6%. This represents a decrease of one percentage point from Wednesday’s 12.6% 7-day positivity rate.
Active cases fall to 506, a decrease from Tuesday’s 560
Jan. 27 | 6:00 a.m.
On Wednesday, the COVID-19 dashboard reported a total of 506 active cases, a decrease of 54 from Tuesday’s 560. The total number includes 400 undergraduates, 52 graduate and professional students and 54 faculty and staff members.
522 people are in isolation on or off campus, down from 571 on Tuesday. The figure includes 354 undergraduates isolating on campus and 46 who are isolating off campus.
Of the 8,354 tests administered in the last 7 days, 1,050 have been reported positive, a positivity rate of 12.6%. This represents a decrease of 1.2 percentage points from Tuesday’s 13.8% 7-day positivity rate, though rates have continued to hover above 10% since the week of Jan. 9.
Active cases increase slightly to 560 as College announces additional booster clinic
Jan. 25 | 10:38 p.m.
On Tuesday, the COVID-19 dashboard reported a total of 560 active cases, a slight increase from Monday’s 541. 445 undergraduate students, 48 graduate and professional students and 67 faculty and staff members are among those those infected.
571 people are in isolation on or off campus, including 386 undergraduate students who are isolating on campus and 59 who are isolating off campus.
Of the 8168 tests administered in the last 7 days, 1,129 have come back positive, a positivity rate of 13.8%. This continues a trend of test positivity hovering above 10%: the week of Jan. 16 saw a rate of 13.4%, and the week before saw a positivity rate of 12.6%.
In an email to campus, the College’s COVID-19 Response Team wrote that Dartmouth will hold a COVID-19 booster clinic on Jan. 31 in Alumni Hall at the Hopkins Center for the Arts. Dartmouth students, faculty and staff members as well as their family members and housemates can receive boosters at the clinic, which is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m to those 12 and older.
Active COVID-19 cases fall by more than 200 to 541 on Monday
Jan. 24 | 11:45 p.m.
On Monday, the COVID-19 dashboard reported that the total number of active cases of COVID-19 fell from last Friday’s all-time high of 783 down to 541. This number includes 424 undergraduate students, down 212 from Friday; 47 graduate and professional students, down 26; and 70 faculty and staff, down six.
550 total people are currently isolating on campus or in the Upper Valley, including 424 undergraduate students. 54 of those undergraduate students are isolating off campus, while the other 370 are isolating in dorms or other campus housing.
Over the last seven days, there have been 1,043 new cases reported: 827 undergraduate students, 93 graduate and professional students and 123 faculty and staff. This figure is down from 1,139 on Friday. Also within the last seven days, the College has administered 9,175 tests for COVID-19. 1,226 came back positive, a 13.36% positivity rate.
Active cases climb by 35 to a record high of 783
Jan. 21 | 9:20 p.m.
On Friday, the COVID-19 dashboard reported that the total number of active cases of COVID-19 increased by 35 to 783 — the highest number of active cases yet, topping the previous high of 761 on Jan. 14. This number includes 636 undergraduate students, up 23 from Thursday; 73 graduate and professional students, up six; and 76 faculty and staff, up nine.
792 people are currently isolating on campus or in the Upper Valley. 101 undergraduate students are isolating off campus, while the other 535 are isolating in dorms or other housing on campus.
Over the last seven days, there have been 1,139 new cases reported: 871 undergraduate students, 131 graduate and professional students and 137 faculty and staff. This figure is down slightly from 1,196 on Thursday. Also within the last seven days, the College has administered 9,714 tests for COVID-19. 1,289 came back positive, a 13.27% positivity rate.
Active COVID-19 cases jump by 77 to 748 on Thursday
Jan. 20 | 11:20 p.m.
The number of active COVID-19 cases on campus jumped to 748 on Thursday, up 77 from Wednesday, according to the COVID-19 dashboard. This number includes 613 undergraduate students — up 61 — 68 graduate and professional students — up 10 — and 67 faculty and staff members — up 6 from Wednesday.
The number of new cases detected over the past seven days has increased by 83 to 1,196 people, including 919 among undergraduates, 148 among graduate and professional students and 129 among faculty and staff members.
The total number of people in isolation on or off campus increased by 71 cases to 755, up from 684 on Wednesday.
Out of the 8,817 tests conducted over the last seven days, 1,274 came back positive, a positivity rate of 14.45%. The test positivity rate during the week of Jan. 9 was 12.62%.
Active COVID-19 cases fall to 671 on Wednesday
Jan. 20 | 6:00 a.m.
On Wednesday, the number of active COVID-19 cases on campus decreased to 671, down 26 from Tuesday, according to the COVID-19 dashboard. This number includes 552 undergraduates — down 26 from Tuesday — 58 graduate and professional students and 61 faculty and staff members, both unchanged from Tuesday. The number of new cases detected over the past seven days fell by 58 to 1,113 people, including 841 among undergraduates, 135 among graduate and professional students and 137 among faculty and staff members.
The total number of people in isolation on or off campus fell by 32 cases to 684, down from 716 on Tuesday. Out of the 6,909 tests conducted over the last seven days, 790 came back positive, a positive rate of 11.43%. In the week of Jan. 9, the test positivity rate was 10.37%.
Active cases climb to nearly 700 on Tuesday
Jan. 18 | 9:20 p.m.
On Tuesday, the number of active COVID-19 cases on campus jumped to 697, an increase of 81 from Monday. This number includes 578 undergraduates, 58 graduate and professional students and 61 faculty and staff members. The number of new cases detected over the past week continues to grow: 1,171 cases, including 890 among undergraduates, 147 among graduate and professional students and 134 among faculty and staff members, were reported in the last seven days.
The total number of people in isolation on or off campus has reached 716, up from 626 on Monday. Out of the 8,495 tests conducted over the last seven days, 852 came back positive, a positivity rate of 10.03%. During the week of Jan. 9, the test positivity rate was 10.37%.
In an email sent to campus on Tuesday, the COVID-19 Response Team reminded students that they are required to submit booster shot documentation by Jan. 31. According to the email, students who are ineligible to receive a booster shot by the deadline should receive a booster within 30 days of becoming eligible. Individuals who are eligible to receive a booster but have not received one yet can visit vaccine clinics being held every Tuesday and Thursday this month at the former JCPenney location in the Upper Valley Plaza.
Active cases fall over the weekend as College continues to loosen restrictions
Jan. 18 | 6:50 p.m.
On Monday, the number of active COVID-19 cases on campus fell from a record-high 761 to 616, according to the COVID-19 dashboard, a drop of 145. This number includes 510 undergraduate students, down 71 from Friday; 43 graduate and professional students, down 65; and 63 faculty and staff, down nine. However, the number of new cases detected over the past week surpassed 1,000 for the first time: 1,092 cases have been reported in the last seven days.
The total number of people in isolation on or off campus fell to 626 on Monday from 782 on Friday, a decrease of 156 people. In the last week, 8,826 tests were conducted on campus and 892 came back positive, a 10.11% positivity rate.
Additionally, the COVID-19 response team sent out an email to campus Sunday with updated policies for the term. According to the email, masked indoor social gatherings are permitted on campus beginning Monday, so long as they do not feature food and drink. Event organizers should plan to have KN95 masks available, and they will be available for free at West Gym, Collis Center and at all test kit pick-up locations starting tomorrow. Faculty and event organizers also have the right to require the use of KN95 masks in the classroom and at events.
The Class of 1953 Commons is now fully open for indoor dining; however, grab-and-go options will still be available and students in isolation or quarantine will continue to pick up meals at Sarner Underground after a positive COVID-19 test.
Active cases climb steadily on Friday to 761
Jan. 14 | 8:40 p.m.
The COVID-19 dashboard reported on Friday that the total number of active cases on campus has increased to 761 –– an increase of 47 from 714 active cases on Thursday. This number includes 581 undergraduate students, up 48 from Thursday; 108 professional and graduate students, up six; and 72 faculty and staff, down three. 994 people have had active cases of COVID-19 in the last week.
In reaction to the sharp climb in COVID-19 cases this week, interim provost David Kotz and executive vice president Rick Mills sent an email urging students to “recommit to diligent mask wearing” in all indoor public spaces on campus and in the Upper Valley. They encouraged students to wear KN95 masks, which are available for pickup at West Gym, Collis and — starting on Monday — take-home test pickup locations around campus.
Kotz and Mills also wrote that students coming out of isolation should be particularly careful about wearing masks for the full 10 days after a positive test result, even if they received a negative rapid test result on day five or seven of isolation.
The total number of people in isolation on or off campus climbed to 782 on Friday from 727, an increase of 55 people. In the last week, 8,415 tests were conducted on campus and 908 came back positive, a 10.79% positivity rate.
Active cases jump by 164 on Thursday to 714, dashing hopes of a slowing outbreak
Jan. 13 | 9:13 p.m.
The COVID-19 dashboard reported on Thursday that total active cases on campus jumped to 714 total, an eye-popping increase of 164 from the 550 cases reported the day before.
The increase in cases has noticeably spiked among undergraduate students; the breakdown includes 533 undergraduate students, up 150 from Wednesday; 102 professional and graduate students, up 11; and 79 among faculty and staff cases, up three. It also comes after two days of single-digit increases in the number of active cases.
In total, just under 1,000 people have been considered active cases in the past seven days: 716 undergraduate students, 147 graduate and professional students, and 130 faculty and staff. The undergraduate number suggests that at least 15.7% of the undergraduate population of 4,566 students — including those not on campus or in the Upper Valley — has contracted COVID-19 in the last week alone.
The number of individuals in isolation on or off campus jumped to 727 on Thursday from 564 on Wednesday. Over the past seven days, the College has performed 8,640 tests for COVID-19, 880 of which came back positive — a 10.19% positivity rate.
Six new active COVID-19 cases bring total number to 550
Jan. 12 | 11:20 p.m.
Amid College emails encouraging “ongoing flexibility,” the COVID-19 dashboard reported that active COVID-19 cases on campus reached 550 on Wednesday, a single-digit increase from 544 on Tuesday. This includes 383 undergraduate students, no change from Tuesday; 91 among professional and graduate students, up one; and 76 faculty and staff cases, up five.
The number of individuals in isolation on or off campus increased to 564 on Wednesday, up from 559 on Tuesday and 545 on Monday. Over the past seven days, the College has performed 8,760 tests for COVID-19. 818 came back positive, a 9.34% positivity rate.
A Wednesday email to campus from interim provost David Kotz and executive vice president Rick Mills emphasized the College’s dedication to in-person classes and activities due to the mental health effects of the pandemic. The two wrote that COVID-19 is moving from “pandemic” to “endemic status,” and discussed reducing risk via masking, testing and vaccine mandates while resuming normal activities.
Dean of the faculty of arts and sciences Elizabeth Smith wrote to faculty on Monday that the “rapid increase” in positive COVID-19 cases on campus may require “additional flexibility,” according to an email obtained by The Dartmouth. Smith explained that professors may decide the absentee threshold for switching to remote learning, previously set at 40%. Professors who wish to switch to remote learning for longer than a week of consecutive classes need to notify their department chair and associate dean, she added.
Daily increase in active COVID-19 cases slows to single digits
Jan. 12 | 1:45 a.m.
On Tuesday, the College recorded its slowest growth in active COVID-19 cases since the winter term began, according to the COVID-19 dashboard. Currently, there are 544 active cases on campus — a slight increase from 536 on Monday. While active cases among the undergraduate student population grew from 368 on Monday to 383 on Tuesday, the number is down from 95 to 90 among graduate and professional students and from 73 to 71 among faculty and staff members.
The number of individuals in isolation on or off campus increased to 559 on Tuesday, up from 545 on Monday. This figure includes 383 undergraduate students, 90 graduate and professional students and 86 faculty and staff.
744 of the 8,701 tests run in the last seven days came back positive, a positivity rate of 8.55%. 763 new cases have been detected over the last week as of Tuesday, including 527 undergraduate students, 123 graduate and professional students and 113 faculty and staff.
College reopens most indoor dining as active cases surge past 500
Jan. 11 | 12:15 a.m.
There are 536 active COVID-19 cases among members of the Dartmouth community as of Jan. 10, according to the COVID-19 dashboard, an increase of over 100 cases from Friday’s 434. This figure includes 368 undergraduate students, 95 graduate and professional students and 73 faculty and staff.
In total, there have been 520 cases of COVID-19 among the undergraduate population on or near campus in just one week — over 11% of the total undergraduate student body of 4,556 students. Termly census figures for the winter term are not yet available from the Office of Institutional Research, but the winter term typically sees slightly lower enrollment than the fall and spring quarters, meaning that the percentage of students at and around who have contracted COVID-19 is likely higher than 11%.
There are 545 individuals isolating on or off campus as of Monday. Out of 10,444 tests run in the last seven days, 851 have come back positive, a positivity rate of 8.15%.
Despite the surge, the College’s COVID-19 Response Team announced Monday afternoon that effective Monday evening, sit-down dining would once again be available in Collis Café, Novack Café, Courtyard Café and on the top floor — but not the main floor — of the Class of 1953 Commons. Previously, sit-down dining was scheduled to be reopened at the end of this week.
Active cases blow past 400, but growth slows, as first week of classes ends
Jan. 7 | 9:00 p.m.
A day after The Dartmouth reported that the College has begun a shift toward treating COVID-19 more like an endemic disease — one that is present in the population at relatively stable levels — active cases have reached another all-time high. There are 434 active cases in the Dartmouth community as of Friday, according to the College’s COVID-19 dashboard.
Of those more than 400 cases, 292 are among undergraduate students, 74 are among graduate and professional students and 68 are among faculty and staff. 566 cases in total have been detected in the last week, meaning that some are no longer considered active.
Total cases increased from 375 on Thursday, but Friday marks the first day this week that the daily increase slowed: Just 59 new cases were reported, lower than the 65 new cases on Tuesday, 76 on Wednesday and 108 on Thursday.
498 of the 8,344 tests run in the last week have come back positive, a positivity rate of 5.97%. 446 people are currently isolating, 250 on campus and 196 off campus.
Active cases reach 375, over 100 more than day before
Jan. 6 | 10:45 p.m.
Active COVID-19 cases reached 375 on Thursday, according to the COVID-19 dashboard: 254 undergraduate students, 62 graduate and professional students and 59 faculty and staff. All categories saw double-digit increases from the day before.
The enormous number is more than double the peak of last winter’s outbreak, and the more than 100-case jump from Wednesday to Thursday represented the fourth straight day of escalating increases: On Monday, Jan. 3, the dashboard reported 126 active cases of COVID-19, jumping by 65 on Tuesday to 191, by 76 on Wednesday to 267 and finally by 108 today to 375.
497 students, faculty and staff have had a case in the past week; only 375 active cases suggests that more than 100 individuals’ cases are no longer considered active.
409 of the 6,983 tests run in the last week have come back positive, a positivity rate of 5.86%. 384 people are isolating either on or off campus.
The booster shot clinics on Jan. 10 and 11 will make available 1,000 vaccine doses over both days, College spokesperson Diana Lawrence wrote in an emailed statement. The clinics will be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Jan. 10 and 11 in Alumni Hall in the Hopkins Center for the Arts. Community members can register online at the Axiom Medical Vaccine Vault Portal.
Booster clinics scheduled as cases continue to surge
Jan. 5 | 10:45 p.m.
As of Jan. 5, Dartmouth is reporting 267 active cases of COVID-19 on campus among students, faculty and staff. Of those cases, 173 are among undergraduates (up from 112 yesterday), 45 are among graduate and professional students (up from 32 yesterday) and 49 are among faculty and staff (up from 47 yesterday). The 267 total cases represents 2.9% of the 9,177 active cases in New Hampshire.
Overall, 353 new cases — split between 230 undergraduate students, 63 graduate and professional students and 60 faculty and staff — were detected in the last seven days, meaning that some cases detected recently are no longer considered active.
The College has also changed how it presents isolation information on the dashboard. 275 individuals are isolating in total. The data is now broken down between those isolating on campus — 140 undergraduates, five graduate and professional students and zero faculty and staff — and those isolating off campus in the Upper Valley: 34 undergraduate students, 41 graduate and professional students and 55 faculty and staff.
Additionally, the dashboard no longer shows the percentage of dedicated isolation space on campus that remains available. College spokesperson Diana Lawrence wrote in an emailed statement that “students are isolating in place, so that metric is no longer relevant.”
Dartmouth also announced new details on upcoming on-campus booster clinics: They will be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Jan. 10 and 11 in Alumni Hall in the Hopkins Center for the Arts. Community members can register online at the Axiom Medical Vaccine Vault Portal. The College is requiring all students, faculty and staff to get booster shots by Jan. 31, or within a month of becoming eligible if they are not eligible by Jan. 31.
Active cases on campus approach 200 at end of first day of classes, Kotz and Mills tell students to “act responsibly”
Jan. 5 | 12:45 a.m.
As the first day of a mostly in-person term closed, Dartmouth reported 191 active COVID-19 cases on campus — 112 undergraduate students, 32 graduate and professional students and 47 faculty and staff — on its dashboard. All three categories saw substantial increases from the day before; on Jan. 3, the College reported 72 cases among undergraduate students, 21 among graduate and professional students and 33 among faculty and staff.
The figure is the highest number of active cases ever recorded on the dashboard, easily surpassing the winter 2021 outbreak that peaked at 143 active student cases and a handful of faculty and staff. That outbreak, which came long before the vast majority of community members were vaccinated, led to the closure of campus buildings, a return to “arrival quarantine” procedures for all students and temporary business closures in Hanover.
In the last seven days, 3,626 tests have been processed, resulting in a positivity rate of 5.43%. Students are required to complete a test at West Gym within 48 hours of their arrival and no later than Jan. 5. Upon completion of a test, students are given a bag containing take-home testing materials and several N95 masks.
Additionally, the number of pre-arrival tests — also required of most domestic students — that have back positive is now 157, up from 152 on Jan. 3. Pre-arrival results are not counted as part of active case counts or tests processed unless they were run in the Upper Valley.
In an email to campus Tuesday evening, interim provost David Kotz and executive vice president Rick Mills confirmed that all College-sponsored indoor social gatherings — but not academic or religious events — will be canceled for the first two weeks. However, they do not “intend to police enforcement” and encouraged students to “act responsibly” and to consider gathering outdoors.
Pre-arrival and on-campus positive cases spike as term begins, but no change to operations
Jan. 4 | 11:30 a.m.
The number of active COVID-19 cases on campus rose dramatically yesterday, the day before in-person classes begin, according to data from Dartmouth’s COVID-19 dashboard. The site now reports 126 total active cases — 72 among undergraduate students, 21 among graduate and professional students and 33 among faculty and staff — as of Jan. 3. According to an archive of the dashboard, on Dec. 29, there were 37 active cases on campus: 11 undergraduates, 10 graduate or professional students and 16 faculty and staff.
The number of pre-arrival tests coming back positive has also jumped, from 80 on Dec. 29th — out of 1,989 tests run, a positivity rate of 4.02% — to 152 on Jan. 3 out of 2,255 tests run, a positivity rate of 6.74%. Pre-arrival testing results are not included in the confirmed cases on campus unless they were run on someone in the Upper Valley, the dashboard notes.
College spokesperson Diana Lawrence confirmed that the College is not altering its plans for the term, writing in an emailed statement that “there are no changes to community guidelines at this time.”
Lawrence added that the College attributes the surge to the “national situation” and said it is not a surprise. It is currently unknown, she wrote, whether or not the omicron variant is the cause of the surge of cases on campus.
The rise mirrors a nationwide surge in COVID-19 infections due to the spread of the extremely transmissible omicron variant. Over a million cases were identified yesterday, according to The New York Times, driving the seven-day average to nearly 500,000, a 239% increase on two weeks before. New Hampshire is recording nearly over 1,300 cases a day on average, a record high.
However, while the omicron variant is more transmissible than the previously predominant delta variant, it also seems less likely to cause severe disease and death. This is especially true among those vaccinated and boosted, though additional factors like age and underlying health conditions can still impact risk.
The vaccination rate among students, faculty and staff is 97.6%, and the College has mandated that all members of the community receive a booster shot by Jan. 31.
The dashboard will be updated once per day, normally at the end of the day, Lawrence wrote.
“At this time,” she added, “the numbers are constantly changing.”
