After welcoming more than 1,000 students to campus on Friday and Saturday, two students have tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19), wrote COVID-19 Resource Coordinator Mike Ranen in an email to all students and employees early this afternoon.

Students arriving to campus received a rapid antigen test within the first hour of their arrival and then a rapid PCR test. The two students who tested positive for COVID-19 received a positive result for both the rapid antigen and PCR tests.

Both students are now in isolation, and neither had any close contacts on campus.

The College expects additional COVID-19 cases in the subsequent week. Ranen reminded students that the College remains in a special status during the first week, which is being referred to as “Hibearnation” and restricts students’ access to campus buildings and gatherings.

“We know that it may take from five to ten days for any additional exposure to be detected by our testing protocol, and it is imperative that we minimize any potential outbreaks as well as close contacts who would need to quarantine. We ask that everyone remain committed to wearing face coverings at all time[s], maintaining physical distance, practicing good hygiene, and showing up as scheduled for COVID-19 tests,” Ranen wrote.

In addition to the two students who received positive test results, three employees tested positive for COVID-19 last week and remain in isolation.