Almost 1,000 more students at Durham University test positive

958 students and six staff have tested positive for coronavirus in the seven days up to Wednesday, Durham University said in a statement.

The university said, “Over the last seven days, the number of reported positive coronavirus cases in students and staff has been steady, with approximately 100-150 new reported cases each day.

“We are proactively and regularly monitoring and managing the situation with local and national public health experts and taking appropriate action where required.”

Durham University has more than 17,000 students and is located in the North East of England where coronavirus case rates are at their highest and has been placed into tier 2 alert system.

Scientific experts have warned that universities are “human petri dishes” for spreading coronavirus as students have travelled from all parts of the UK and are sharing accommodation.

Independent SAGE said that the government’s latest restrictions are slowing the spread of the infection and has “bought some time.”

They warned that without an effective system of testing it is “pointless.” Over the last two weeks test and trace capacity appears to be down as 10% fewer cases are being reached.

Neuroscientist Professor Karl Friston, also of UCL also warned, “The headline from the quantitative modelling of recent trends in new cases is clear: now is the time for ‘shoe-leather’ epidemiology.

“In short, a redeployment of resources away from remote ‘call centres’ to local and experienced public health teams who can find, monitor, and support people who have acquired the infection, and their contacts.

Figures suggest there are more than 60 universities which have confirmed cases of coronavirus.