Please read this email in its entirety.
- Booster shots are required; upload your documentation by Jan. 3
- KN95 or similar filtration masks must always be worn in indoor public spaces
- Twice weekly testing is required on Mondays and Thursdays; use eMed
- Limit indoor social interactions
- No food or drink in classes, meetings, or at events
Dear Students,
As we prepare to welcome you back to campus, we also are prepared for the Omicron variant of COVID-19, which is affecting communities across the world.
Our priority is to continue in-person, on-campus living, teaching, learning, and working at CC, because we know that’s so important to our students’ learning and well-being. Thanks to you and those serving on our COVID policy and implementation team, we’ve been successful doing that this year, even as county transmission rates remained at an all-time high. We’ve always known there will be challenging times with the pandemic, and this is one of them. With your help, we expect we can preserve in-person experiences and activities through the academic year.
Omicron is likely to be prevalent during January and February. Fortunately, reports show that most people who are fully vaccinated and boosted will not experience severe illness or hospitalization. That’s good news for our highly vaccinated CC campus community.
Booster Shots
- Booster shots are required for all fully vaccinated faculty, staff, and students who are eligible. There are no exemptions for booster shots. We urge all unvaccinated students to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
- Booster documentation should be uploaded into the portal by Monday, Jan. 3.
Masks
- KN95 masks, which will be provided to students by CC, must be worn at all times in indoor public spaces. If you have your own KN95 masks (or similar high-filtration masks, such as N95, KF94, or FFP2), you may wear them. You also will be issued an “isolation kit,” which contains isolation instructions and an N95 mask.
Get Your Tests, Masks, and Isolation Kit
All students will receive test kits, three KN95 masks, and an isolation kit. The isolation kit includes one N95 mask (to be used only during isolation), and isolation instructions to keep with your isolation bag. Isolation guidance, based on recommendations from El Paso County Public Health, will be provided early next week.
- Residents of Loomis, Mathias, and South halls may pick up their test kits, masks, and isolation kit at their residence hall front desks starting Jan. 2.
- All other students may pick up their test kits, masks, and isolation kit at the Worner Desk starting Jan. 2, or Tutt Library starting Jan. 3.
Worner Desk hours:
- Jan 2: 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
- Jan 3: 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
- Twice weekly screening testing via eMed is required for all students, vaccinated and unvaccinated, with and without prior infections. Students will obtain their tests starting Sunday, Jan. 2. Students must participate in testing to maintain Gold Card access.
- Students, if you haven’t already done so, create a Navica account and connect your account to CC, using the connect code in the email you received from noreply@navica.abbott. Do not skip this step, or we will not be able to receive your test results and follow up with you in case of a positive result.
- Testing Protocol
- Self-administer your first test on Jan. 2 with eMed (or Jan. 3 if arriving after 4 p.m. on Jan. 2) and take the second test with eMed on Thursday, Jan. 6.
- Instructions for testing have been sent to you via email; you may pick up written instructions with your test kits.
- Be sure to test with eMed, as eMed will automatically report your results, and key card access to campus buildings will be based on participation.
Limit Indoor Social Gatherings
- Students should have no unmasked interactions indoors with non-household members; no parties; and should pick a small “pod” of up to five friends to spend time with during coming weeks. Choose outdoor activities, as they are much lower risk. These temporary changes are necessary for us to continue having in-person experiences and activities through the academic year.
COVID-19 is an airborne virus. We can get sick if we inhale air that contains viral particles. Mitigate accordingly, including at home when non-household members are present, by: Indoor masking (use masks that act as a filter such as KN95 masks or similar); increasing ventilation of indoor spaces by opening windows and doors; and filtration using portable filters. The key idea is to avoid sharing unfiltered indoor air with non-household members. You can also create your own filtration with these DIY plans.
Food at Campus Events/Meetings
- No food or drink is allowed indoors in classes, meetings, and at campus events. All dining will be takeout only through J Block and Half Block (Jan. 21), when we will revisit this policy. It is OK to take sips of water, but there should be no prolonged unmasking.
Public Events and Visitors
- Public events may continue, and visitors are allowed on campus with these stipulations:
- No food or drink are allowed at events. Concessions will be suspended at Ed Robson Arena and the Fine Arts Center until further notice.
- KN95 masks or similar must always be worn in indoor public spaces including at events.
Words cannot express our gratitude to the many members of our campus community who have been working during Winter Break to develop policy and procedures, implement plans, and prepare the campus for being in-person in the coming weeks. Please help us honor their work by participating in public health practices in the coming weeks. Thank you for your partnership as we navigate this phase of the pandemic.
Sincerely,
Andrea Bruder
Chief Public Health Advisor to the President
Mateo Muñoz
Chair, COVID-19 Policy and Implementation Committee
