Two students, one staff member with confirmed COVID-19 cases

Boston University has confirmed that two students currently on-campus have tested positive for coronavirus, along with one faculty member, Wednesday. According to a BU official, the students and the facilities staff member are all in self-isolation and the university is monitoring their close contacts.

Colin Riley, a BU spokesperson, said both students are in suitable isolation spaces. While Riley was not able to disclose the specific on-campus residences of the students, he said they are both quarantined in spaces with a private bedroom and bathroom.

The facilities staff member is quarantined at his home residence, and his co-workers are being monitored for symptoms.

Riley said last week’s decision to move students from one on-campus housing location to another to free up quarantine spaces was made previous to the university’s knowledge of the confirmed cases. Riley said the university only became aware of the infections yesterday.

“When we were asking students to relocate on campus, from particular residences because they were suitable to the use of putting students in there who needed to be isolated, that activity preceded the decision to ask students to leave campus,” Riley said. “These students are in suitable facilities now, and that would be in a single bedroom with a single bathroom.”

Riley said the two students have not recently traveled outside the country, and that their cases are more likely to have come as a result of community spread. Additionally, Riley said that both students contacted Student Health Services when their symptoms became apparent — something he said all students should do.

“We’ve been saying that if you feel you have some symptoms of flu or some of the flu like symptoms, we’d like you to contact Student Health Services,” Riley said. “They’ll give you some guidance and one of the first things they’re going to tell you is to isolate yourself, to take your temperature and to monitor your symptoms.”

As the students quarantine themselves on campus, Riley said that SHS will continue to monitor their health and Residence Life will provide them with food and other essentials.