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Beginning December 18, 2024, Beacon staff will be away from the newsroom for the Emerson College winter break. Daily news coverage will resume on January 13, 2025.
Emerson College’s only independent, student-run newspaper since 1947

The Berkeley Beacon

Emerson College’s only independent, student-run newspaper since 1947

The Berkeley Beacon

Emerson College’s only independent, student-run newspaper since 1947

The Berkeley Beacon

Emerson's COVID-19 testing center.

Spring semester hits 700-plus case count as Emerson updates COVID-19 protocol for summer session

By Adri Pray, Frankie Rowley and Bailey Allen / April 13, 2022

Emerson will instate relaxed COVID-19 policies during the summer term, according to a community-wide email from college officials sent Wednesday.  Citing...

Emerson's COVID-19 testing center.

Emerson reports six COVID-19 cases for Wednesday, Muurisepp confident in college’s progress

By Adri Pray / March 30, 2022

On Wednesday, Emerson reported six COVID-19 cases of the 747 tests administered on Tuesday, setting the daily positivity rate at 0.80 percent. The college...

COVID testing site locating at 116 Harrison Avenue.

Emerson reports six COVID-19 cases on Wednesday

By Adri Pray / March 23, 2022

On Wednesday, Emerson reported six COVID-19 cases of the 870 tests administered, setting the daily positivity rate at 0.69 percent. The college also...

Emerson's COVID-19 testing center.

COVID-19 cases continue to climb on campus, semester-total at 588 positives

By Adri Pray / March 16, 2022

Emerson reported three COVID-19 tests on Wednesday of the 930 tests administered, bringing the daily positivity rate to 0.32 percent. The college also...

Erik Muurisepp sits at his desk on the fourth floor of the Walker Building.

Emerson sees 19 COVID-19 cases amid policy change

By Adri Pray / February 24, 2022

Emerson reported 19 positive COVID-19 tests on Wednesday, signifying an uptick in cases on campus and the highest single-day total since 31 cases were...

COVID testing site locating at 116 Harrison Avenue.

Emerson’s COVID-19 cases continue decline entering sixth week of semester

By Adri Pray / February 10, 2022

On Wednesday, the college reported a singular COVID-19 case of the 879 tests administered Tuesday, setting the daily positivity rate at 0.11 percent and...

A sign of the COVID testing site of Emerson College and Tufts University.

Emerson will require rapid tests for return to campus after spring break

By Frankie Rowley / February 9, 2022

Emerson will require students to receive a rapid antigen test prior to their arrival back to campus if they chose to leave for spring break, announced...

Snow fluttering down on Boylston Street.

Emerson announces loosened COVID-19 protocols starting Feb. 7

By Vivi Smilgius / February 4, 2022

The college will update its protocols on Feb. 7, allowing non-Emerson guests inside non-residential spaces and requiring community members to get COVID...

The exterior of the COVID testing site.

Emerson finished January with a 0.60 weekly percent positivity rate, lowest seen since fall 2021 semester

By Adri Pray / February 1, 2022

On Monday, Emerson reported five positive COVID-19 cases of the 689 administered over Friday and Sunday, no information was readily available for Saturday. From...

COVID testing site locating at 116 Harrison Avenue.

Emerson breaks 400 COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, positivity rate at 2.35 percent

By Adri Pray / January 27, 2022

Emerson has seen 404 positive COVID-19 tests since the spring testing cycle began on Jan. 3, breaking a threshold not seen through the entire pandemic. The...

Erik Muurisepp sits at his desk on the fourth floor of the Walker Building.

‘Learning to live with the virus’: Emerson reports 31 positive COVID-19 cases Tuesday

By Adri Pray / January 21, 2022

Emerson College has reported 332 positive COVID-19 cases since the start of the spring semester—the highest numbers since the beginning of the pandemic—and...

Gov. Charlie Baker provides a COVID-19 update while touring the first responder vaccination site at the Worcester Senior Center on Tuesday, January 12, 2021.

Massachusetts reports 17,802 new coronavirus cases

By Adri Pray / January 11, 2022

Massachusetts reported 17,802 positive cases on Tuesday, down from the 60,986 reported Monday. The death toll rose by 116, the highest single-day total...

Emerson to resume in-person classes on Jan. 18

Emerson to resume in-person classes on Jan. 18

By Frankie Rowley / January 11, 2022

Emerson will resume in-person classes on Jan. 18 with a slew of extended restrictions college officials announced on Tuesday evening.  Citing community...

Outside of the Emerson College Testing Center.

Emerson reports 27 positive COVID-19 tests Wednesday, bringing weekly total to 61

By Camilo Fonseca / December 16, 2021

Emerson reported 27 new positive COVID-19 tests for the second day in a row on Thursday, bringing the numbers of positive tests reported this week to a...

The exterior of the COVID testing site.

Omicron, now in Massachusetts, has global spreader potential, expert says

By Vivi Smilgius and Bailey Allen / December 9, 2021

Massachusetts reported its first case of the Omicron COVID-19 variant on Saturday, renewing concerns about the spread of the virus just days before the...