The daily coronavirus positivity rate from tests administered at the University of Maryland has dropped in the days since the university announced it would be lifting the sequester-in-place order instated following a February surge in cases and resuming in-person instruction.
Since the administration lifted the order Feb. 27, the university has reported eight positive test results in its testing program, according to the university’s COVID-19 dashboard. The positivity rate for the university-administered tests has been .76 percent since the announcement.
Last week, the positivity rate for university-administered tests was 1.6 percent, according to the dashboard. That week, the university reported 160 coronavirus cases, in addition to 115 cases self-reported to the university.
[UMD classes online, students asked to sequester for a week amid rise in COVID cases]
Since the announcement, the university has recorded 1,054 COVID-19 tests. Last week, the university administered 9,723 tests, according to the dashboard.
In the three days leading up to Saturday’s announcement, the positivity rate was about 1 percent. This led the administration to lift restrictions, according to a campuswide email from Darryll Pines, university president, and Dr. Spyridon Marinopoulos, health center director.
The availability of quarantine and isolation housing has also increased over the past several days. As of Wednesday afternoon, 58 percent of the housing was available. Two days before the university lifted the sequester-in-place, about 18 percent of the housing was available — the second lowest of the entire academic year.
