Loyola has hit an all-time high of 31 active COVID-19 cases ahead of Thanksgiving break, when many students will be traveling out of state to finish their semester online.

Loyola has 31 confirmed active cases of COVID-19 as of Nov. 20, the highest recorded case count since the start of the school year, according to The Maroon’s tracking of university data. Prior to Nov. 20, the highest number of active cases reported on campus was 29 cases on Sept. 5.

All of the cases are among students, with four people in isolation in a residence hall and 27 in isolation off campus. Three of these students are exclusively attending classes online this semester.

Loyola has seen a spike in active cases since the Halloween weekend. According to Patricia Murret, associate director of public affairs, Loyola defines an active case as someone who tests positive for the virus in Student Health Services or notifies the university of a positive test.

The university is not mandating regular testing for students or faculty and the bulk of the Loyola community has not been tested for COVID-19. The university is offering access to testing for students who do not feel symptoms of COVID-19 prior to the Thanksgiving holiday.

During the week of Nov. 12-19, there were 18 new cases of COVID-19, according to Loyola’s data. As of that same week, there have been 118 cumulative cases of COVID-19 in the Loyola community since the beginning of the semester.

There was free voluntary on-campus testing that was only available during the first week of September. A total of 633 students and employees were tested then.

All community members who test positive are required to self-isolate for 10 days after they develop symptoms and can return to campus after they have had no fever for at least three days.

Students, faculty and staff are required to complete a daily health assessment via the Campus Clear app before coming to campus.