Positive Covid-19 tests at university now over 900
MORE than 900 students at the University of Bristol have now tested positive for coronavirus, according to the latest figures.
The outbreak among the university community was first confirmed on October 7 and there are now two student accommodation buildings in the city in lockdown due to the virus spreading there.
For a week, the university has been providing daily updates on the number of known cases among its staff and students, and it has been five days since it reported a daily rise of more than 100 among its students.
Yesterday’s latest update from the university said 913 students had now tested positive – a daily rise of 25.
The university has also released figures for the weekend, with 48 new cases confirmed on Saturday and 51 on Sunday. In comparison, Tuesday and Wednesday last week both saw daily rises of more than 125 cases.
The number of staff members with coronavirus has risen by four since Friday and now stands at 14.
“Ten of the affected staff have been working from home and not been on campus,” the university said. “Four staff members have been working from home and on campus.”
Last week, a student at the university claimed she was running out of food in her flat after not receiving any support from the university six days after testing positive.
A university staff member has also claimed that no preparations were made in advance and described staff as “incredibly overwhelmed and operating in emergency mode”.
On October 9, The Courtrooms student halls went into lockdown due to the virus spreading there. The Bristol city centre halls of residence went into lockdown after 40 students living there tested positive. Since then, students at a second accommodation building – one block of four flats at Hiatt Baker, in Stoke Bishop – have been instructed to quarantine.
The University of the West of England has reported 41 cases in the past week, with the latest figures published on Sunday revealing a daily rise of five cases.
UWE students moved into halls only last week, which is a possible explanation for the big disparity in coronavirus cases at the two Bristol universities.
An academic at UWE has claimed the university is not taking coronavirus seriously, saying there was anxiety and nervousness among staff about going back to face-to-face teaching next week.