University of Idaho COVID-19 testing results from Sept. 12-18 found 25 primarily asymptomatic positive cases among students and employees, according to an email sent from President C. Scott Green to Moscow-based faculty, staff and students.
Last week’s testing focused on individuals who traveled over Labor Day weekend, resulting in a 4.71% positive test rate. The test rate for the previous week, Sept. 5-11, was 1.61% positive.
“While we asked everyone to stay in Moscow, not everyone did,” the email stated. “We are grateful to those who followed our request to be tested after traveling and want to encourage everyone to continue to make good decisions.”
The email strongly encouraged those who traveled to be tested before returning to classes. Those who traveled over Labor Day weekend should be tested this week due to the minimum six-day incubation period of COVID-19, according to the email. Free testing is available at the Student Recreation Center Wednesday and Thursday.
“Choosing avoidance over doing what is right is not what Vandals do,” the email stated. “We expect more from each other.”
Over 9,000 tests have been completed since Aug. 6 with 1.32% of tests being positive, the email stated. Eight students were in the isolation facility as of Sept. 21.
“We have nine more weeks until Thanksgiving break, and we can’t let our guard down for a moment,” the email stated. “It is not lost on us that October was the worst month for the Spanish Flu pandemic in the early part of the last century. As we move back indoors, we need to be even more vigilant about adhering to the Healthy Vandal Pledge.”
Surveillance testing will focus on the athletics program, ROTC, a few sororities and students or employees who recently traveled.
Lex Miller can be reached at [email protected]