Dear students, staff, and faculty,
As Interim wraps up, we are entering a busy season during which we will test members of the Calvin community who are returning to campus for the spring semester.
On-campus students who did not take an Interim and are returning for spring semester may move in from Saturday, January 30 through Monday, February 1. All students (whether living on-campus or off-campus) should register for an appointment for a return-to-campus COVID-19 screening test at this link.
On the main move-in dates for on-campus residents, testing will be available at the Tennis & Track facility as follows (register for an appointment in advance):
- Saturday, January 30 from 8:30 am-4 pm
- Sunday, January 31 from Noon-6 pm
- Monday, February 1 from 8 am-4 pm
Please note that students can return earlier than January 30 if travel plans require it. We will have some screening times on Thursday, January 28 and Friday, January 29.
More details are below for any students, staff, and faculty planning their return to campus and still in need of a screening test.
In addition, we have an encouraging announcement this week about a new vaccination site for West Michigan, including a new website and a more streamlined registration process for anyone who still needs to indicate their interest in receiving the vaccine.
NEW THIS WEEK
- Return-to-Learn Screening Tests
- A Possible Close Contact
- Vaccination Updates
RETURN-TO-LEARN SCREENING TESTS
We wanted to clarify and emphasize one thing regarding our return-to-learn COVID-19 screening tests for second semester. If you are currently experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, do not wait for the screening test you have scheduled. Report your symptoms as soon as they appear using the #CampusClear app. (As a reminder, anyone back on campus should be using #CampusClear every day).
If you are experiencing COVID-like symptoms and let us know through the #CampusClear app, we will schedule you right away for a COVID-19 test, so we can connect you to medical care immediately. Early reporting of symptoms is a crucial step in our ability to care for and keep one another safe.
The return-to-learn COVID-19 screening tests are intended to keep our campus safe by surfacing people who test positive for COVID, even though they have no symptoms (asymptomatic carriers). Through no fault of their own, such people can spread COVID to others because they don't know they have it. This is why it is important that you receive your screening test before spending time unmasked with your roommate or apartment mates, including sleeping in the same room. When our rapid-result antigen tests show a positive at our screening clinics, we then immediately follow up with a PCR test, and if that is positive, we can care for the student and help stop additional spread on campus.
This great video will show you what to expect when you arrive at the screening clinic for your rapid-result tests. There are plenty of times and days to schedule your return-to-learn screening tests on our Eventbrite page. If you have any questions about returning to on-campus living, please contact housing@calvin.edu.
We prefer that students go through Calvin’s screening process but recognize there may be some situations in which it is more convenient for someone to receive a screening test elsewhere. We will accept COVID-19 antigen or PCR test results obtained elsewhere if the test is administered no more than three days prior to your return to campus. Please submit off-campus screening test results electronically using the COVID Reporting Form.
A POSSIBLE CLOSE CONTACT
If you think you are a possible close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, please complete the COVID-19 reporting form, and one of our contact tracers will reply and help you determine if you meet criteria to be placed in quarantine.
In general, if you were within six feet of a confirmed positive for more than 10 minutes, you probably meet criteria for quarantine. Our contact tracers will coordinate with Calvin’s Housing Department to make arrangements for on-campus residents who require quarantine. Housing will work closely with students in this situation regarding the steps involved in the quarantine process. As you wait for further instructions, please learn remotely.
Please use your patient portal to ask Health Services to guide you through determining when it is appropriate for you to get a COVID-19 test. If you develop symptoms, reach Health Services at 616-526-6187, ext. 2. Health Services is open Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
And as mentioned above, filling out your daily #CampusClear app is the best way to notify key resource people who standby ready to assist Calvin students.
VACCINATION UPDATES
Late last week, Kent County, Spectrum Health, and Mercy Health, in collaboration with Vaccinate West Michigan, announced a new COVID-19 vaccine clinic that will allow large numbers of community members to be vaccinated at a central location.
Vaccinations began on a small scale on Monday at the West Michigan Vaccine Clinic at DeVos Place in downtown Grand Rapids, and over time, this impressive facility will be well-equipped to vaccinate large numbers of people as more doses of the vaccine become available.
For now, vaccines will be offered by appointment only, based on vaccine availability and recipient eligibility. At this time, state and federal criteria determine who is being vaccinated with current eligibility limited to those age 65 and older as well as certain essential workers, such as K-12 teachers and childcare workers, and health care workers, doctors, dentists, and their staffs.
The other great piece of news around the announcement of this new clinic is a new website where people can register their interest in receiving the vaccine when it becomes available and when they are eligible.
At www.wmvaccineclinic.org, you can click on a big green button that says: "Learn how to schedule your COVID-19 vaccination."
Or you can go directly to this page: https://www.spectrumhealth.org/covid19/covid-19-vaccine#Register
There you will find instructions for how to register for the vaccine through Spectrum Health’s MyChart. Note that you do NOT need to be a Spectrum Health patient to use this service. Also, anyone who is already registered via the previously publicized Spectrum Health MyChart questionnaire will be notified that they are in the queue and that they will receive appointment information as slots become available.
In addition, those who unable to use the online tools to complete registration can call 833-755-0696, keeping in mind that call volumes are extremely high and registering online is the fastest, easiest, and preferred method.
This new clinic will be in addition to clinics that Spectrum Health and Mercy Health and others have opened and plan to open going forward. Also, Calvin Health Services is still waiting for its first allotment of vaccine and is fully supporting these new efforts downtown, including an offer to assist at new pop-up clinics specifically targeting underserved communities.
Anyone at Calvin who fits into one of the phases currently eligible for vaccination has received a letter from the university confirming eligibility. All others should review this site to determine where they fit in the eligibility phasing and should register via the Spectrum website as soon as possible.
A PRIOR CASE OF COVID-19
If you have had a verified case of COVID-19 in the 90 days prior to your return to campus, you do NOT need to take part in our return-to-learn COVID-19 screening process. If you have not yet reported your previous case to Calvin, please do so as soon as possible using the COVID Reporting Form and attach the documentation you received at the time of your diagnosis. KCHD is asking Calvin University to obtain confirmation testing when a previous diagnosis was made by a positive antigen test. Health Services will be able to order your confirmation testing.
COVID-19 VACCINE AND SCREENING TESTS
We have had some members of the Calvin community who are eligible for and have begun their COVID-19 vaccine series. Anyone who has received one or two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine should still participate in Calvin’s COVID-19 screening test process, including return-to-learn screening, athletic screenings, etc. We are currently NOT waiving screening tests for individuals who have received one or more doses of the COVID-10 vaccine. We will update the campus community if this changes.
LINKS WE LIKE
The COVID-Response Team
Kristen Alford
Jennifer Ambrose
Laura Champion
Phil de Haan
Todd Dornbos
Jim English
Todd Hubers (co-chair)
Brian Paige
Jane Prins
Sarah Visser (co-chair)
John Witte
Cindy Wolffis