WESTFIELD- Westfield State University reported five new COVID-19 cases on Monday to bring the school’s semester total to 86.
All five of those who tested positive this week were students. Westfield State officials have not disclosed whether those students were residents living on campus or commuters. Three Westfield State employees have tested positive for COVID-19 to date.
The five cases is the fewest number of cases reported by Westfield State since March 1. A City of Westfield contact tracing specialist reported that many of the positive cases detected among students in the month of March were linked to a large student gathering that took place earlier in the month off campus.
At the peak in March, 31 students tested positive in one week. Twenty-seven were commuter students who mostly contracted COVID-19 at the large gathering, while four were residential students living in Davis Hall.
Residential students who test positive are sent to Lansdowne Place on Thomas Street to quarantine until they are cleared to return to campus.
Westfield State has maintained a moderate COVID-19 alert level for the duration of the semester thus far, meaning that there is a low to moderate level of spread of COVID-19 on campus but that campus conditions are well controlled to mitigate the spread.
