MA Adds College and University Testing Data to COVID-19 Reporting

Wednesday, September 16, 2020

GoLocalWorcester News Team

Image: CDC

The Massachusetts COVID-19 Command Center Wednesday announced that higher education data from COVID-19 testing will be reported on a weekly basis on the state’s COVID-19 dashboard. Today’s report includes aggregate data from 59 colleges and universities doing testing on campus.

SEE MA DASHBOARD

Rhode Island does not separately report higher education results.

Beginning Wednesday the COVID-19 Weekly Public Health report published each Wednesday will include a report on the number of tests performed, positive cases, percent positivity, and the percent of new cases identified through testing by public and private colleges and universities. As additional colleges and universities launch COVID-19 testing initiatives, results from those tests will be added to this report.

Starting in mid-August, higher education institutions across the state implemented regular testing programs for their students, faculty and staff, the results of which have been included in the COVID-19 Daily Dashboard. DPH will continue to report these results in the Daily Dashboard, in addition to providing specific information on college and university testing in the Weekly Public Health report.

The state provides a snapshot of the COVID-19 impact in Massachusetts on its Daily Dashboard posted each day by 4 p.m. and on Wednesdays by 6 p.m. The COVID-19 dashboard includes daily and cumulative data on confirmed cases; molecular, antibody, and antigen testing by date; cases by sex/race/ethnicity; hospitalizations, hospital capacity and census; and deaths.

The Weekly Public Health report published each Wednesday includes more granular information, including cases and case rate by age, town-by-town case and testing information, a map of high, medium, and lower-risk communities, updates on nursing facility survey results, and the distribution of Personal Protection Equipment.