UNE reports total of three students testing positive for COVID-19

BIDDEFORD — A total of three University of New England students have tested positive for COVID-19, and another 22 are under quarantine due to exposure to the virus.

UNE has campuses in Biddeford and Portland.

Jen DeBurro, dean of students and assistant provost for student affairs, made the announcement to students in a letter on Monday morning.

“These all stem from one individual and demonstrate how quickly the virus can spread,” she said.

DeBurro said that many of those under quarantine attended a gathering where they did not wear masks or practice social distancing.

“The easiest of practices were completely disregarded, and the consequence of that choice is now playing out. Perhaps more disturbing is that some of the students under quarantine did not participate in that gathering. The carelessness of some community members has had a direct impact on others,” said DeBarro.

DeBarro said that several students involved in the situation are facing a conduct review.

UNE President James Hebert said in a letter to the UNE community on Monday morning that the university has partnered with the Maine Center for Disease Control on contact tracing and to ensure that the virus is contained.

“While this situation is disheartening, as a result of our policies and procedures, we were able to quickly identify the positive cases and contacts and pull in the state’s public health experts,” said Hebert. “We will continue to be diligent in reinforcing a culture of compliance among our students and will take whatever steps are necessary to protect the health and safety of the UNE community in order to continue to fulfill our mission.”

Publisher Liz Gotthelf can be reached at [email protected].