USC reported a total of 168 active COVID-19 cases, according to the university's updated online COVID-19 dashboard. This is an increase from last week's cases and the university is expecting case counts to continue to rise next week.
Of this total, students make up the majority with 157 cases. Faculty and staff account for the 11 other cases.
There has been a total of 408 COVID-19 cases, 366 student and 42 faculty and staff, since Aug 1.
Between Aug. 22 and Aug. 28, USC conducted a total of 2,529 COVID-19 tests. Of these tests, 1,916 were student tests and 613 were faculty and staff tests.
The student positive rate was 6.2%, while the faculty and staff positive rate was 1.5%
As of Aug 28., about 62.7% of the Columbia campus community is fully vaccinated.
About 61.8% of students are fully vaccinated, while 73.8% of faculty and 63.4% of staff is fully vaccinated. Note, these numbers may be higher in actuality, because some students, faculty and staff may not have uploaded their vaccination cards yet.
The newest numbers mark a 2.7% increase in total vaccination rate on campus compared to the 60% total vaccination rate reported last week.
All students are required to get tested once a month.
Students will get an email the week they need to get tested, and may choose to get tested on campus or to submit documentation of an off-campus test, according to USC's testing information website.
This week, students, faculty and staff can walk in and get tested at Russell House in rooms 303 and 304 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. or at the front entrance of the Carolina Coliseum from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Students can also make an appointment to be tested through MyHealthSpace.
Faculty and staff can also get tested at 1311 Pendleton Street from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The schedule for the week of Sep. 4 has not been released yet.
Students, faculty and staff can get a walk-up vaccine at the Center for Health and Well-Being from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. Vaccines will also be offered before the first football game of the season on Sept. 4 from 2:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. at Gamecock Village, according to the South Carolina Athletics Department.
The COVID-19 alert level for the university is at 0.50, which is within the "new normal" level. The alert level is based off campus testing, quarantine, mitigation compliance, impact on operations and more.
The dashboard is updated every Tuesday.