Brown University Limits Social Gatherings Over ‘Asymptomatic Cases’ on Highly Vaccinated Campus

People walk past Sayles Hall on the campus of Brown University, in Providence, R.I., in 2012. Steven Senne/AP Photo

Brown University has closed its dining halls and placed new restrictions on social gathering after an increase in positive, asymptomatic COVID-19 cases among its overwhelmingly vaccinated student population.

As of Sept. 16, Brown has performed 12,216 “routine asymptomatic tests” on 10,624 individuals over the past seven days, which returned 80 positive results, according to a COVID-19 dashboard on the Ivy League school’s website. With a vaccine mandate in place, nearly 98 percent of students and 96 percent of faculty and staff have been vaccinated.