COVID-19 Baseline Testing Results

Dear campus community,

As we begin face-to-face classes today, we wanted to update you on our baseline testing results as this new semester begins and also share some updates on where we are with COVID-19 in our community here in Berrien County.

During our two weeks of testing, 2,662 tests were given to employees, students (AU and AA) and visiting students, including those from Berrien RESA (Regional Education Service Agency).

The total positive cases resulting from this baseline testing was 40. This means that the positivity rate among our employees was 1.25 percent and Andrews students had a positivity rate of 1.66 percent. As a result, the overall total positivity rate was 1.5 percent.

The Andrews University positivity rate compares with a current positivity rate of positive cases in Berrien County that is between 9 percent and 10 percent, which also mirrors the current rate in Michigan. As of today, Tuesday, Jan. 19, we have 25 remaining positive active cases at Andrews University, all of whom are in isolation.

The majority of the campus has cooperated with us on this spring semester baseline testing and we want to thank each one of you. We are pleased that our rates of positivity compared to the county, state and country continue to be low. However, many of these positive cases determined through this baseline testing were asymptomatic. This means that without the testing and isolation/quarantine procedures of the campus, we would have the potential for far quicker spread and risk in our community. For the few of you who have not yet complied with our testing expectations, we will expect you do so on your own time and you will not be able to access the campus until your testing is done and the results reported to our COVID-19 Case Management Team at covid19@andrews.edu.

Once again, we both want to thank you all very much for your continued commitment to keeping the campus safe through appropriate testing, daily use of #CampusClear, wearing face coverings to cover your mouth and nose and, of course, keeping that six feet/two meters of physical distance between you and others in a group, whether you are inside or out.

May God bless each one of you in the semester ahead.

Andrea Luxton
President

Christon Arthur
Provost