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Dear Students,
Thank you for your continued participation in public health protocols including testing and indoor masking. Your participation has supported our response to the recent spike in infections.
Implemented at the onset of the spike, additional screening testing detected existing infections and effectively prevented further spread. After peaking mid-last week at 77, the number of new weekly cases has rapidly declined, to 26 as of today. Most students who received positive test results have completed their isolation periods.
Even though we are taking care and adhering to protocols at CC, COVID-19 transmission rates are high in El Paso County and in much of the country. You can look up transmission levels at your destination here to inform your masking practices.
Common risks for exposure include indoor activities such as visiting friends and family, parties and other gatherings, eating in restaurants, and traveling.
It’s important that we take extra care to reduce risk of COVID-19 spread as we prepare to spend time with friends, family, and others during Fall Break. Please take steps to protect yourself and others:
- Follow CDC guidance for domestic and international travel. Depending on your destination and vaccination status, this may entail testing. See testing resources below.
- Protect family members who may be more at risk of severe illness, even if they are vaccinated:
- Test prior to leaving campus;
- Consider testing prior to attending holiday gatherings. At-home antigen tests (not to be confused with antibody tests) such as the BinaxNow, iHealth, BD Veritor, and others are now more widely available from pharmacies and Amazon.
- Get tested if you’re not feeling well.
- Do NOT travel or interact with others if you’re experiencing COVID-19 symptoms such as cough, sore throat, fever, chills, headache, fatigue, loss of taste or smell, congestion or runny nose, nausea or diarrhea. Stay home and away from others.
- Avoid large gatherings and mask up indoors.
- Get your COVID-19 booster shot. Due to wide spread, Colorado and some other states now recommend that all people 18+ get a booster dose.
Symptomatic Testing
- The Student Health Center will be open for normal hours through the end of Block 3 (8 a.m.-noon and 1-7:30 p.m.on Wednesday) with limited hours Nov. 18 and 19 (noon-5 p.m. on Thursday and Friday). Contact the SHC, (719) 389-6384, if you’re feeling sick. They will help you with testing for COVID-19 and a range of other illnesses, and treatment.
- During Fall Break, beginning Saturday, Nov. 20, through Sunday, Nov. 28, students should contact the Optum Medical Center Point Urgent Care, (719) 636-2999, if experiencing symptoms or feeling unwell.
In addition to COVID-19 testing, the provider will be able to test for a range of other illnesses, such as influenza, strep, etc., to help you recover as quickly as possible.
Students who receive positive test results during Fall Break must follow isolation protocols and should contact their Block 4 professor to discuss the need for support, adaptation, or assistance with the course.
Screening/Asymptomatic Testing
Asymptomatic testing is available prior to Fall Break at Boettcher Wednesday (8 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m.). Starting on November 29, Screening/Asymptomatic testing will be administered by eMed. Please remember to follow the instructions in the email you received from noreply@navica.abbot to download the Navica app and connect your account to be ready to start testing with eMed after Fall Break.
Think you may have been exposed to the Coronavirus?
- Wear a mask when around others;
- If you’re asymptomatic, make an appointment for testing 5-7 days after the exposure, see guidance above;
- If symptomatic, note the provider hours above and call to make an appointment;
- Contact the COVID Response Coordinator, (719) 413-9588, who will follow up as soon as possible.
All students staying on campus during Fall Break will have access to campus dining options, virtual activities and to-go kits, small-scale on-campus programming, and other supports. Every day, students in isolation will get a check from a COVID coordinator, and daily meal/mail/prescription delivery continues over Fall Break. Students on campus will also have access to virtual and to-go activities from Campus Activities during the break.
You can view college COVID-19 vaccination rates, testing, and exposure data on the CC COVID-19 dashboard. Our COVID-19 risk mitigation information is available here.
Regardless of your plans, please take care of yourself, as well as those around you. Many resources are available to you over this extended break and the Office of Campus Activities has put together this Fall Break Digest with information, events, and activities planned for those on-campus.
We wish you a healthy and restful break.
Sincerely,
Andrea Bruder
Chief Public Health Advisor to the President
Mateo Muñoz
Chair, COVID-19 Policy and Implementation Committee
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