PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Just one day after announcing that their single confirmed COVID-19 case had been a false positive, a student living in a residence hall at the University of Maine at Presque Isle has tested positive for the virus.
In a statement published on Wednesday, UMPI President Ray Rice said that the student tested positive as part of the university’s asymptomatic testing program. The student is not showing symptoms of COVID-19, but has entered the mandatory two-week quarantine in an isolated location on campus.
Rice noted that the student’s roommate and other close contacts have been notified through the Maine CDC’s contact tracing protocols. The CDC defines a close contact as “any individual who was within six feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes starting from two days before a positive test specimen collection.”
The positive test comes just days before UMPI plans to end the in-person period of their fall classes. Starting after Thanksgiving break, all students will complete the semester through remote learning.
“Though we were hoping to get through the last few days on campus together without a positive case, we are heartened to know that our testing and health and safety protocols are continuing to work efficiently and as intended,” Rice said. “Our work now is to support affected individuals through the two-week quarantine period, which will extend over the Thanksgiving holiday.”
Rice said that UMPI will continue providing daily updates concerning COVID-19 testing and potential or new cases.
