Uni confirms daily leap in virus cases

The University of Bath on Tuesday confirmed 18 new cases of Covid-19 among its population in the last 24 hours.

The university has begun updating the numbers of cases recorded among staff and students every day on its website, with the data for Tuesday indicating 18 new positive tests have been returned.

This comes after at least 31 cases were reported in the week preceding the newest figures, with all those cases being recorded between September 29 and October 5.

The figures have been climbing since the university began recording daily numbers, but this is the sharpest spike that has been seen so far, more than doubling the previous day’s cases (seven).

An explanatory note accompanying the daily figures on the university’s website says: “These figures include confirmed Covid-19 cases that are reported to the university by our staff or students.

“They include students who are in university accommodation or in private accommodation in Bath and the local area, and staff who have had any recent contact with the university in the preceding month.

“The university has 3,500 staff and 18,500 enrolled students.

“When the university receives a report of a positive Covid-19 test result from a student or staff member we alert both Public Health England and Bath and North East Somerset Council.

“When the university receives a report from either a student or from a staff member, we contact them directly to check on their welfare and offer wellbeing support and guidance, including public health advice.”

Universities have become problem areas for the spreading of coronavirus in recent weeks, with a number of student areas seeing cases spike. Some 474 students at the University of Sheffield were reported to have tested positive earlier this week.