For the first time in months, University COVID-19 cases increase drastically
After two months of relatively low rates of COVID-19 at the University, cases are rising again. On Dec. 14, the University reported 22 cases, matching the highest single-day case report from last year.
The increase comes amid growing concerns over the omicron variant of the coronavirus, which was detected in New Jersey weeks ago. It is not clear if the variant has reached Seton Hall, but reports suggest that a significant portion of the state's COVID-19 cases are caused by the new variant.
There are currently an estimated 56 active cases associated with the University, most of them on campus.
University COVID-19 rates remain low
Oct. 2021
University reported tests stagnate
Oct. 6, 2021
The University did not report any COVID-19 cases in the past week. However, they also reported zero tests between Sept. 29 and Oct. 5.
On Tuesday, the estimated number of active cases associated with Seton Hall fell into single digits for the first time since Sept. 5.
University cases continue to decline
Oct. 1, 2021
The University continued to report a decline in cases this week, with the estimated active cases dropping to 28.
University adds 3 COVID-19 cases, 0 tests in recent days
Sept. 29, 2021
The University reported three COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, with one detected on Friday and two more detected on Monday.
This Saturday marked the first day since Sept. 5 with no cases reported. However, the University has also reported no more tests since reporting 132 tests Thursday.
The estimated number of active cases associated with the University has dropped to 48, down from a peak of 183 on Sept. 20.
Semester COVID-19 total passes 200.
Sept. 24, 2021
The University COVID-19 case total for the fall semester surpassed 200 this semester.
The seven-day moving case average fell to three cases per day, down from a peak of 21 cases per day and hitting its lowest point since Sept. 7.
The Setonian estimated Thursday there were about 116 active cases of COVID-19 associated with the University.
University infection rate continues to decline
Sept. 17, 2021
Seton Hall reported another 14 cases of COVID-19 Thursday, with ten cases detected on Wednesday and four on Thursday — the lowest number of cases reported since Sept. 6.
The seven-day moving average continued to decline, and on Thursday hit 14 cases per day, down from 21 on Monday.
There were an estimated 173 active cases associated with the University on Thursday. The total case count for the semester reached 180.
University reports 27 new cases; Infection rate begins an apparent decline
Sept. 15, 2021
Seton Hall reported 27 new cases Tuesday night, with the Health Services publishing testing data from Monday and Tuesday.
On Monday, 17 new cases were detected, while a further ten were found on Tuesday. One of the cases detected Tuesday was affiliated with the Newark campus of Seton Hall Law.
The seven-day moving average of cases peaked Monday at 21 cases per day but declined to 20 cases per day on Tuesday. The decrease marks a downward trend in cases for the first time this semester.
The new cases bring the total estimated number of active cases to 160.
Seton Hall reports 14 new cases
Sept. 14, 2021
The University reported 14 new COVID-19 cases Monday night, marking an apparent plateau in infection rates on campus.
However, the seven-day moving average of cases, an indicator of the consistency of the spread of COVID-19, has continued to rise. Currently, the University is averaging a record 19 cases per day.
There are currently an estimated 136 active cases associated with Seton Hall.
University COVID-19 cases hit triple digits in just over two weeks
Sept. 13, 2021
Seton Hall reported 40 new COVID-19 cases Sunday, with the University detecting a record-breaking 32 cases on Friday, and another eight on Saturday.
Thirty of the newly reported cases were in residential students on the South Orange campus, with a further nine being found in off-campus students. One of the new cases was in a staff member who works at the South Orange campus.
The seven-day moving average of cases, an indicator of the consistency of the spread of COVID-19, has hit 17 cases per day, higher than the University's previous peak of 14 cases per day in November.
There are currently an estimated 123 confirmed active cases of COVID-19 associated with the University.
The University has reported 125 cases this semester and 591 cases since the pandemic began.
University reports 27 new COVID-19 cases.
Sept. 11, 2021
Seton Hall reported twenty-seven more cases of COVID-19 Friday, in the second largest single-day rise in cases since the pandemic began.
Twenty of the cases were residents of the South Orange campus, with seven living off-campus.
The report came after Interim Vice President of Student Services Monica Burnette sent an email to the University community asking that students remain vigilant.
"Thank you for continuing to do your part to keep our campus community healthy and safe," Burnette said. "We are particularly grateful to you for getting vaccinated, as we know this is your best defense against becoming seriously ill."
Burnette echoed the Health Intervention Communication Team (HICT)'s Thursday update, which warned that if cases continue to rise, classes may have to pivot to remote learning "temporarily."
Seton Hall sees largest single-day increase in COVID-19 cases since start of pandemic; Total cases have surpassed 500.
Sept. 9, 2021
Seton Hall reported thirty cases of COVID-19 associated with its campuses Thursday, in its largest single-day rise in cases since the pandemic began.
The Health Intervention Communication Team (HICT) reported that there have been 58 cases since move-in day on August 26. The total cases at the University since the beginning of the pandemic have surpassed 500.
The new semester has seen an unpopular indoor mask mandate, no social distancing and a voluntary, unenforced and self-reported vaccine mandate that the University says is among the strongest in the nation.
A majority of students, according to an August Setonian poll, want to strengthen the porous mandate, which originally allowed exemptions for “personal reasons” and does not require students to upload proof of vaccination. According to the HICT update on Aug. 23, those who sought personal exemptions will have to get vaccinated by Oct. 2, forty days after the Pfizer vaccine was fully approved by the FDA.
Most of the new cases at the University, according to HICT, have been in vaccinated students with mild symptoms. However, the reliability of the self-reported vaccination data is unclear.
The New York Times reported Tuesday that the odds of a fully vaccinated individual contracting COVID-19, even with the more infectious delta variant, is around one in 5,000.
According to the HICT’s self-reported data, 10 percent of the University community is unvaccinated, with only 88 percent of students receiving one or more doses.
The University has repeatedly vouched for the accuracy of its self-reported data, but it is unclear how this data has been verified.
If cases on campus continue to rise, the University may return to remote instruction “temporarily.”
“We may need to implement some of the ‘pivot’ plans we have developed for the South Orange campus,” the HICT email said. “These could include temporarily moving to remote instruction, broadening the indoor mask mandate, moving activities outdoors, and rescheduling other events.”
It is unclear how many cases are required to trigger a pivot to online learning.
***Update: an earlier version of this article reported that there were twenty-five new cases. The story was updated around 12:30 a.m. Friday to reflect the updated total of thirty cases.
****Correction: an earlier version of this article said that personal exemptions were still available. The article has been updated to reflect that these exemptions will expire in October.
Daniel O'Connor can be reached at daniel.oconnor1@student.shu.edu. Find him on Twitter @itsDanOConnor.
