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The Latest on COVID-19

A novel coronavirus, named Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China in 2019. The illness caused by this virus has been named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Illustration by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
  • Bradley eliminates COVID-19 vaccine requirements for incoming students
    Bradley’s new COVID-19 policy, which will no longer require students to be vaccinated, will be going into effect on May 11. This corresponds to Illinois governor JB Pritzker’s announcement in January 2023 that the state’s public health emergency will officially end on May 11, 2023. … Read more
  • What to know about the non-compliance disciplinary action process
    On Wednesday, registration holds for Bradley students without evidence of full COVID-19 vaccination or an appropriate exemption were put in place, barring them from signing up for January Interim and spring 2022 classes. Starting in January 2022, unless a student is enrolled in Bradley’s online … Read more
  • University updates COVID-19 policies
    Bradley University provided students, faculty and staff with an update on COVID-19 vaccination and testing policies via email on Friday morning.  The email message updated policies for the spring semester, including that students who haven’t submitted evidence of vaccination or received a valid exemption by … Read more
  • State mandate requires COVID-19 vaccine for students and employees in higher education
    Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced today that the state of Illinois will require all higher education employees and students to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. This means Bradley will now require the vaccine for all students, faculty and staff, according to an email sent by the Office … Read more
  • Bradley updates COVID-19 policy: Masks to be required indoors
    Bradley announced several changes to its COVID-19 policy on Thursday that follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Illinois Department of Public Health.  Beginning Aug. 9, the university will require everyone to wear a mask in all indoor public spaces … Read more
  • Bradley announces no vaccine requirement for fall
    Bradley University has announced that it will not require students or employees to be vaccinated to participate in on-campus activities this fall in an email sent to students, faculty and staff on Wednesday afternoon.  The email, signed by president Stephen Standifird, also announced that the … Read more
  • On-campus positivity rate decreases slightly
    Bradley administered a total of 379 COVID-19 tests this week from April 23-29, and 10 returned positive. This week’s positivity rate is 2.64 percent. An additional four cases were reported from off-campus testing.  As of April 29, there are 87 students in isolation and quarantine, … Read more
  • 2020-2021 COVID-19 cases in review
    In mid-summer, the university announced its plans to return to campus in the fall of 2020, along with schools like Illinois State University and the University of Illinois system. On July 29, the university released its COVID-19 surveillance testing procedures. The goal was to randomly … Read more
  • Campus positivity rate increases to 3.28 percent
    Bradley administered 305 COVID-19 tests from April 16-22 and 10 returned positive, resulting in a 3.28 percent weekly positivity rate. An additional eight cases were reported from off-campus testing for a total of 18 recorded cases this week. As of April 22, there are 54 … Read more
  • Timeline of COVID-19 communications at Bradley
    As the pandemic progressed with evolving information from around the world, Bradley had to adapt, sometimes shifting its messages a few times in the same week. The university continued to keep students and faculty informed of campus operations and provided information and additional sources about … Read more
  • Editorial: Dealing with the side effects of Moderna
    With the first round of campus vaccines occurring last week, many students are preparing for their second dose during finals week. Already, the second shot of Moderna has earned notoriety for its extreme side effects. Many students have missed class and several professors have canceled … Read more
  • Campus positivity rate declines for 3rd week
    This week’s campus COVID-19 dashboard continued the 3-week trend of decreases in both cases and average positivity rate.  The university administered 239 tests and four were positive, resulting in a 1.67 percent on-campus positivity rate. An additional five cases were reported from off-campus testing. As … Read more
  • Bradley announces COVID-19 vaccination clinics on campus
    The university announced today that it will be offering students the opportunity to receive the Moderna vaccine on April 12 and 13 in the Markin Center. Bradley has a total of 1,000 vaccines, courtesy of the Peoria City/County Health Department. Students must register for an … Read more
  • Campus sees slight decrease in COVID-19 positivity rate
    After two weeks of increasing COVID-19 cases on-campus, this week showed a small decrease in both cases and average positivity rate.  The university administered 276 tests and 10 were positive, resulting in a 3.62 percent on-campus positivity rate. An additional eight cases were reported from … Read more
  • On-campus positivity rate surpasses 4 percent
    This week saw a rise in COVID-19 cases from both on and off-campus testing.  Over 100 more tests were conducted on-campus this week with 391 being administered between March 29 and April 2. Seventeen tests were positive, resulting in an on-campus positivity rate of 4.35 … Read more
  • Campus positivity rate increases to 2.1 percent
    After weeks of less than 1 percent positivity rates, Bradley reported a 2.1 percent positivity rate for the week of March 19 to March 25 with 11 total cases from both on and off-campus testing reported. Out of the 286 tests administered on campus, six … Read more
  • New COVID-19 cases stay consistent with previous week
    From March 5-11, Bradley administered 293 COVID-19 tests, and two returned positive. The week’s positivity rate is .68 percent. Two additional positive cases were self-reported from off-campus testing, for a total of four positive cases this week.  As of March 11, 11 people are in … Read more
  • Bradley reports low positivity rate, Peoria starts vaccinating 1B+
    From Feb. 26 to March 4, Bradley administered 389 COVID-19 tests, and three returned positive. The week’s positivity rate is .77 percent. One additional positive case was self-reported from off-campus testing, for a total of four positive cases this week.  As of March 4, 11 … Read more
  • On-campus positivity rate stays at zero percent for second week
    For the second consecutive week, zero positive COVID-19 cases were reported through on-campus testing, which consisted of 288 administered tests from Feb. 19-25. Two positive tests were self-reported from off-campus testing, and there is one person in isolation and quarantine.  Since the beginning of the … Read more
  • Campus weekly positivity rate remains below one percent
    During the week of Feb. 5-11, 429 COVID-19 tests were administered on campus, with four returning as positive. The positivity rate for this past week is .93 percent. Additionally, three positive tests were reported from off-campus testing. As of Feb. 11, there are 36 people … Read more
  • Quarantine restrictions lifted: Off-campus dining now allowed
    Restrictions imposed in the initial two-week quarantine period have been revised following periods of record-low COVID-19 positivity rates. Among the changes going into effect Feb. 9 is off-campus dining, which is now allowed for the general population. Dining at off-campus restaurants has not been allowed … Read more
  • Bradley surpasses weekly testing goal; only one on-campus positive test
    In the past week (Jan. 29-Feb. 4), 580 tests were administered on-campus, which is well over the goal of 500 set by the university at the beginning of the semester. Only one of these tests were positive, making the week’s positivity rate .17 percent. Last … Read more
  • New cases rise to 22 for week as positivity rate continues to increase
    As many students prepare to leave campus and return home for the holidays, the number of new COVID-19 cases has increased. There were 22 total positive cases recorded Nov. 6-12 from both on and off-campus testing. This week, 18 of 308 tests administered on campus … Read more
  • Weekly COVID-19 positivity rate at 2.58 percent, the highest in five weeks
    After last week’s record-low weekly positivity rate of .42 percent, this week’s rate stands at 2.58 percent. Eighteen total new cases were reported from both on and off-campus testing, tripling last week’s total of six. Out of the 271 tests administered on campus during the … Read more
  • Bradley sees lowest on-campus weekly positivity rate
    During the week of Oct. 23-29, there were six positive cases of COVID-19 reported according to Bradley’s online dashboard. Only one case was positive from on-campus testing out of 236 tests administered. The on-campus positivity rate for this week was below 1 percent for the … Read more
  • COVID-19 positivity rate sees slight increase, but numbers stay consistent
    According to Bradley’s COVID-19 dashboard, there were eight positive cases recorded the week of Oct. 16-22. The on-campus weekly positivity rate is 1.45 percent with four out of 275 tests administered returning as positive. This is a slight increase from last week’s record low of … Read more
  • Weekly campus positivity rate below 1 percent
    This week was another record low week for Bradley in terms of positive COVID-19 tests. From both on and off-campus testing, five results were recorded as positive. Out of 256 tests administered on campus from Oct. 9 to Oct. 15, two were positive, making the … Read more
  • Number of positive cases stays consistent with last week at eight
    Bradley’s COVID-19 dashboard reflects eight total positive cases from both on and off-campus testing during the week of Oct. 2-8. Three of the 280 tests administered on-campus this week came back positive, making the weekly positivity rate 1.07 percent. As of Oct. 8, the number … Read more
  • Bradley eases campus restrictions amidst low amounts of cases
    Following a week where the university only recorded eight positive cases of COVID-19 for Sept 25-Oct.1, restrictions were updated regarding on-campus dining and the gathering of students on Oct. 2. According to the email from president Stephen Standifird, students – excluding those in isolation or … Read more
  • Campus sees semester’s lowest number of new COVID-19 cases
    Bradley’s COVID-19 dashboard indicates eight total positive cases from both on and off-campus testing were recorded from Sept. 25 – Oct. 1. This marks a record low week since nine cases were reported for Aug. 24-27. There were a total of 260 tests administered on … Read more
  • Bradley will lift all student quarantine on Sept. 23 but restrictions remain
    Bradley’s all student quarantine will be lifted beginning on Wednesday at 7 a.m., according to President Stephen Standifird’s email to all students this afternoon. While students will now be allowed to attend in-person classes, a majority of the restrictions imposed during quarantine will remain for … Read more
  • 132 positive COVID-19 cases reported in the past week
    As of this morning, the university’s COVID-19 dashboard reflected a 16.40 percent weekly positivity rate with 132 total positive tests of COVID-19 reported from Sept. 11 – Sept. 17. With this number, the campus positivity rate average since Aug. 24 has reached 10.44 percent. At … Read more
  • Weekly on-campus positivity rate climbs to 14 percent
    As of Friday morning, the university’s COVID-19 dashboard reflected a 14.46 percent weekly positivity rate with 102 positive tests of COVID-19 reported from Sept. 4 – Sept. 10. With this number, the campus positivity rate average since Aug. 24 has reached 8.46 percent. The positivity … Read more
  • Updated dashboard confirms 106 positive cases of COVID-19 at Bradley
    As new information has become available, please refer to Weekly on-campus positivity rate climbs to 14 percent for the most updated information. The university recorded a total of 106 positive confirmed cases of COVID-19 according to a Thursday morning update on the online university dashboard. … Read more
  • COVID-19 positivity rate nearly triples in second week of testing
    According to the university’s most recent COVID-19 dashboard, 18 positive tests of COVID-19 were recorded for this week, bringing the university’s case total to 27. A total of 230 students are currently in isolation and quarantine. The dashboard also indicated an 8.3 percent positivity rate, … Read more
  • The Bradley Student’s Guide to the 2020 Fall Semester 
    The following information is a basic summary and quick reference to the rules and regulations laid out by Bradley University for the 2020 fall semester to deal with COVID-19. The information will be updated as guidelines change. How will Bradley test its students? Bradley plans … Read more
  • Bradley records nine positive tests of COVID-19; 38 are in quarantine
    Bradley has recorded nine positive cases of COVID-19 and 38 are in quarantine and isolation as of Friday afternoon, according to the university’s COVID-19 dashboard page. It is not clear how many of the cases are staff or students.  In an email sent to all … Read more
  • COVID-19 outbreak on campus: Eight orientation members test positive
    Eight members of the Bradley Orientation program have tested positive for COVID-19, according to a university statement sent out around midnight to all students.  According to the email, the university has already begun “aggressive contact tracing” to identify and contact others who may have been … Read more
  • COVID-19: Illinois judge challenges Pritzker’s extension; Greater Peoria area sees 47 new cases this week
    A week after Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker announced an extension of the stay-at-home-order, a judge in Southern Illinois issued a temporary injunction for state Rep. Darren Bailey, who claimed the extension subjects citizens to irreparable harm. In his daily briefing on April 27, Pritzker turned … Read more
  • COVID-19: Pritzker will extend stay-at-home order until May 30 with modifications
    At his press briefing on Thursday, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker announced that he will sign an executive order next week to extend the state’s stay-at-home order through Saturday, May 30, with some adjustments.  The extension, effective May 1, will include new modifications that will require … Read more
  • COVID-19: Illinois sees highest single-day death count on Thursday; testing sites planned for Peoria
    The Illinois Department of Public Health on Thursday reported 125 new deaths related to COVID-19, the greatest number of deaths in a 24-hour period reported so far in the state. The number of deaths as a result of COVID-19 totaled 1,073 in Illinois as of … Read more
  • COVID-19: In light of potential curve flattening, Pritzker warns against large summer events
    Since last Thursday, Illinois has seen an increase of 8,727 positive cases of COVID-19 and 371 deaths. The record-week of total cases and deaths is still increasing heading into the weekend, as the total number of confirmed cases has reached 16,422 and 528 deaths as … Read more
  • COVID-19: Illinois totals reach over 7,000 on Thursday, 157 deaths
    As of Thursday, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is now reporting a total of 7,695 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in Illinois. The number of deaths as a result of the disease has totaled 157, 85 percent of which are individuals over the … Read more
  • Faculty adjust to online courses
    As the university made the decision to switch to online courses for the semester, faculty and staff have been working to make sure their classes will be effective for their students. The Office of the President announced on March 12 that spring break would be … Read more
  • A Bradley student tested positive for COVID-19 after study abroad
    A Bradley student has tested positive for COVID-19 after returning from a study abroad program. The student has not been on campus this semester and has been in self-isolation since their return, according to the university.  The university officials ask the public to respect the … Read more
  • COVID-19: Peoria area now has 12 confirmed cases as of Friday
    In the greater Peoria area, 12 residents are now confirmed positive for COVID-19 in Tri-County – six in Peoria County, three in Woodford and Tazewell counties each – and so far no deaths reported, according to Monica Hendrickson on Friday afternoon.  Hendrickson, administrator of the Peoria … Read more
  • COVID-19: Illinois reports an additional 673 cases and seven deaths on Thursday
    The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) reported 673 new positive cases of COVID-19 in Illinois on Thursday, along with seven more deaths. This is the largest single-day increase of confirmed cases so far and more than double from yesterday’s increase.  The total number of … Read more
  • COVID-19: Total cases in Illinois increase by 330; Tazewell County reports first case on Wednesday
    On Wednesday, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) reported 1,865 positive cases of COVID-19 in the state, an increase of 330 from Tuesday.  The number of deaths related to COVID-19 in Illinois is now at 19, including three additional deaths on Wednesday – a … Read more
  • Quarantined in Peru: an unexpected spring break extension
    When their Airbnb host in Peru knocked on the door two days after arriving, three young men had no idea that their spring break vacation would become a 15-day quarantine. Senior engineering majors Michael Kuzma and Jeremy Rapp, along with Bradley alumnus Charlie Barchett, said … Read more
  • COVID-19: Illinois reports 1,535 positive case and 4 additional deaths on Tuesday
    On Tuesday, Illinois reported a total number of 1,535 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state, an increase of 250 from yesterday. The state also announced four additional deaths – a Chicago resident in his 50s, two Cook County residents both in their 60s and a … Read more

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