As temperatures fall across the north United States and positive test results for COVID-19 rise, the University of Wisconsin at River Falls has been experiencing a corresponding decrease in the number of available quarantine and isolation beds on campus, per statistics at the COVID19 dashboard on the University website. It’s all simple math: with the rising number of positive tests subtracting from the overall available bed count, the graphed data shows a falling number of available beds, the number decreased further by a decrease in overall bed capacity from 98 to 94 between November 6 and November 12, 2020.

Starting out on November 6 with a 98 bed total capacity, 73 are available after subtracting the 25 isolation beds in use, with a seven-day positivity rate of 2.55 percent as of November 6. But while the seven-day positive test rate remains unchanged over the weekend of November 7 and 8 when no tests were taken or received, the same cannot be said for quarantine and isolation bed capacity, which fell to 97 on Sunday November 8 for a total of 17 in use and 80 available, with 18 in use and 80 available the day before.

Moving on to Monday November 9 the quarantine and isolation bed capacity remained at 97, while the case count saw a jump of nine to 26 cases total, or 71 beds still available. With an additional case the following day and unchanged total capacity leading to just 70 beds still empty, the number available decreased by two the following day to 68, with the numbers in quarantine and isolation going up two, to 29 total. Ninety-seven total capacity minus twenty-nine in use equals 68 available, per the statistics. Closing out the seven-day period as of Thursday, November 12, the total bed capacity dropped from 97 to 94, while a rise of two in quarantine and isolation to 31, joined to the three-bed fall in total capacity, left just 63 beds available

on campus for quarantine and isolation.