Bentley University On Coronavirus Lockdown After Spike In Cases

WALTHAM, MA — Bentley University students will be confined to their dorm rooms and will take classes online until "at least" March 18 after a spike in coronavirus cases on the Waltham college's campus.

"Effective immediately, residential students are required to stay in their personal rooms on campus with strict exceptions such as picking up food or getting a COVID test," the college's Interim President and Chair of the Board Paul Condrin said in a letter to the school community Thursday morning.

During the lockdown, students living off campus are only to come to campus for their weekly screening tests and then must immediately leave campus. All classes will be held online, according to Condrin and a flurry of emails sent by administrators to staff and students Thursday.

The strict measures come as the positive test rate rose to 4.7 times the average of all other Massachusetts colleges and universities. The school has had more positive coronavirus tests in the past month than it did in the entire fall semester.

The lockdown comes a day after Bentley College said it would fully reopen its campus in the fall. While Tuesday's positive test rate was 2.13 percent, or 15 positive results out of 716 tests administered, 39 students are in isolation on campus. Another nine are in isolation off campus and 65 students are in quarantine after possible exposure to people who tested positive for the virus.

"Implementing these new guidelines immediately is the last possible measure that we can take before having to review the feasibility of continuing the on-campus experience for the remainder of the spring term," he said. "This week is crucial, and numbers must trend downwards."