Dear Campus Community,
The College has implemented many changes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and I would like to share important information about our plans should the campus be impacted by the virus. The large number of confirmed cases in our county underscores the importance of adhering to the preventive strategies that have been widely disseminated. For the remainder of the spring semester, the College has protocols in place for testing, isolating, and contact tracing for students and employees with confirmed or probable cases of the infection.
Students who test positive for COVID-19 will transition to off-campus, College-owned housing. Students who remain off campus during recovery will receive ongoing medical care and regular food delivery. Students diagnosed with COVID-19 by a provider off campus or at home should inform Bailey Health Center. For students remaining on campus, we will coordinate contact tracing for roommates, intimate partners, and those sharing common living spaces in residence halls.
Employees who have been diagnosed with COVID-19, confirmed by testing or by a clinical encounter with a provider, should immediately contact their supervisor or department head at the College. We ask that employees also share this protected health information with the director of health services so we can keep track of cases of COVID-19 on campus. Of course, we wish everyone in our community and their families who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 a full and rapid recovery.
Contact tracing is an important element in limiting the spread of disease on campus. The recommended precautions for exposure to a person with the virus is to self-isolate and monitor for symptoms for a period of 14 days. Employees diagnosed with COVID-19 should identify individuals with whom they have had close contact on campus, defined as being within six feet of a co-worker for at least 10 minutes.
For people exposed to an asymptomatic individual who has had potential exposure to other people diagnosed with the virus (i.e. “contacts of contacts”), no action is necessary.
To everyone in our community, near and far, I know how deeply concerned and uncertain you are about what comes next. We are here to support you, as I know we will support one another. I am in awe of the ways our community has pulled together, and though distance may separate us, we remain as one.
Respectfully,
Dr. Jeff Goldstein
Director of Health Services