09-13-22: Campus Community Message
Dear Students, Staff, and Faculty,
Wayne County’s COVID-19 Community Level moved back to HIGH late in the afternoon on Monday, September 12. This level factors in total infection rates as well as hospitalization rates throughout the county. In accordance with Wayne County Health Department and CDC guidelines, masks will be required for all indoor public spaces through Tuesday, September 20, at which time we will re-evaluate and make decisions based on the best available data.
Required Masking and Surveillance Testing
Effective immediately through Tuesday, September 20:
- Masks are required by all students, staff, faculty, and guests in all indoor public spaces, with the exception of outdoor practice, in individual living spaces and personal offices.
- Masks are required in the dining hall and all campus cafés and can be removed while eating and drinking.
- Masks are required in the Scot Center.
- Masks are required in the Longbrake Student Wellness Center.
- Masks are required when using all College of Wooster transportation.
- Masks are required by anyone who is COVID-19 positive or has symptoms of COVID-19, until a negative test has been taken, the required isolation protocol has been completed, and symptoms have passed. Masks are required at all times in shared spaces for no less than 11 days after receiving a positive test.
- Faculty and staff may continue to require that students and guests wear masks in their classrooms and personal offices.
Masks must be worn over the nose. Click here to make sure you are wearing your mask properly.
We also will continue to conduct mandatory surveillance testing of orgs, floors, teams, and other groups based on evidence of potential clusters as defined by the Wayne County Health Department. Instructions will be provided to students and/or group leads on requirements for this testing.
As a reminder, overnight guests are not allowed in any of the campus residential spaces.
Access to Bivalent Vaccine
Our Community Health Taskforce met early Tuesday morning with Wayne County Health Commissioner Nick Cascarelli (Ed.D) and Director of Nursing Patricia Reining (RN) to discuss campus and community health conditions and review our safety protocols.
Through this partnership, we are working to secure access to bivalent COVID vaccine boosters very soon and will be in touch about upcoming on-campus vaccination clinics free for all students, staff, and faculty. As a reminder, students who become eligible for vaccine boosters during the academic year are required to receive the immunization and report it via the Wellness Center Portal. The College of Wooster also strongly encourages employees and contracted employees to receive booster immunizations and update your vaccination status in Scot Web.
Community Health Dashboard and Guide
Our campus guidelines are subject to change as conditions on campus and in the local community dictate. We will continue to monitor infection and hospitalization rates locally and at the state and national levels and will update our campus Community Health Dashboard weekly on Monday afternoons with the latest data. As we’ve done since the beginning of the pandemic, we will rely on masks and testing as levels fluctuate. We will adjust community guidelines as needed on our 2022-2023 Community Health Guide.
Masks and Test Pickup Locations
The College is providing high-quality, well-fitted masks, self-administered rapid COVID-19 tests, and “masks required” door hangs to anyone who needs them. Follow these steps if you believe you were exposed to COVID-19. Students, staff, and faculty who are experiencing symptoms or would like to monitor their health will be able to pick up masks or a self-administered rapid test at the following campus locations:
- Lowry Center Information Desk
- Andrews Library Circulation Desk
- Wellness Center Door A and Door D
- Ruth Williams Hall Stockroom.
These items may also be requested in advance through communityhealth@wooster.edu (formerly wooster-covid-19) and someone will be in touch with pickup instructions.
Isolation Protocols
- Upon receiving a positive test, students should contact Longbrake Student Wellness Center either through their individual health portal or call 330-263-2319.
- All positive students will be instructed to isolate in place.
- In all isolation cases, it is the positive student’s responsibility to connect with their faculty on arrangements for completing coursework while they are out.
- Per our practice, we will continue to alert faculty by the next business day if students in their class will be out.
- Students who test positive and are in isolation will continue to be assigned a support person through the duration of their isolation period and meals will be delivered to their location.
- If a roommate of a positive student is immunocompromised and needs temporary accommodations, they should contact communityhealth@wooster.edu.
Click here for more information on isolation protocols.
We appreciate your ongoing efforts to keep campus safe!
Community Health Taskforce
Posted in Community Message on September 13, 2022.
