Notre Dame Reports 54 New Coronavirus Cases In One Week, But Will Stay Open—For Now

Notre Dame has reported a total of 58 Covid-19 cases since students returned to campus on August 3, the first positive test showing up three days after students first moved in.

In the week starting August 10, 54 more tests came back positive with school officials pinpointing at least two off-campus parties where students did not wear masks or practice social distancing as outbreak sources. 

“What is reinforced is our concern that it only takes a weak link,” said university spokesperson Paul Browne, who emphasized the university’s “confidence” it can get the virus back under control and make it through the semester. 

However, Browne told the South Bend Tribune that Notre Dame is continually assessing whether its safe to keep the campus open, looking at several factors including the “sheer number” of cases and positivity rate of tests. 

The 8.3% positivity rate reported, as of August 15, is higher than the 5% rate the World Health Organization suggests for state reopenings. 

Given this advice and the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which says colleges should consider closing buildings and ending in-person classes after Covid-19 outbreaks, Notre Dame could well follow the lead of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which called off in-person classes one week into the semester.