WESTFIELD — The weekly COVID-19 case count for Westfield State University dropped last week after a sudden spike in cases on the campus had been a cause for concern.
Just four new cases were reported on the Westfield State campus last week, after 15 cases had been reported the week before. The university was also recently able to boast a vaccination rate of more than 90 percent for both students and employees, though the employee vaccination rate was for some reason dropped from 94 percent to 89.15 percent this week.
Ninety-nine Westfield State employees remained unvaccinated as of last Friday, though some have received an exemption from getting the shot on medical or religious grounds.
Westfield State officials have not yet said how many of the recent cases on campus were breakthrough infections among the vaccinated, given the university’s relatively high vaccination rate.
When the 15 cases had been reported last week on the campus, Westfield State President Linda Thompson said that it did not require further COVID-19 related restrictions on campus, but that a further increase might. Though the case count dropped this week on the campus, it rose in Westfield and surrounding communities, in a sign that the cold weather could once again play a role in increasing the infection rate, especially in populations with a low vaccination rate.
