Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

During this Holy Week, we have several opportunities to come together to remember the central events of our Christian faith, including Christ’s resurrection, the foundation on which Christian hope is built.

This is a hope that Calvin-based website PreachingandWorship.org says “rises with Christ because Christians see in his resurrection that God's grace cannot be defeated, not even by death itself.”

May that hope be yours too, both this week and this semester.

IMPORTANT THIS WEEK

  • No Quarantine for Fully Vaccinated People
  • Current Restrictions Remain on Campus
  • Vaccine at Calvin
  • National Doctors’ Day
  • Holy Week Worship

No Quarantine for Fully Vaccinated People

As more people in our community are eligible to be vaccinated, we are eager to expand the opportunities available to fully vaccinated people. According to health guidelines, fully vaccinated people are those who are two weeks past their second shot for Pfizer and Moderna or two weeks past their only shot for Johnson & Johnson.

One of the main benefits to being vaccinated right now is that fully vaccinated people who have been around someone who has COVID-19 do not need to quarantine or get tested unless they develop symptoms (which is why we are asking fully vaccinated folks at Calvin to continue to self-monitor through the use of #CampusClear). 

As noted last week, if you are a close contact of a positive case, our contact tracers will get in touch with you about your vaccination status, and if you develop symptoms, you will need to get tested and stay home and away from others.

As a sidenote, we have had people in our community who were exposed to someone between their first shot and second shot and then developed symptoms and tested positive. Please, don’t let your guard down after your first shot, especially as the medical community continues to research whether fully vaccinated people can still transmit the virus.

Current Restrictions Remain on Campus

The current CDC advice is that fully vaccinated people should continue to take precautions such as wearing a mask in public places, staying six feet apart from others, and avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces.

Right now, in private residential settings, fully vaccinated people can gather indoors with other fully vaccinated people without wearing a mask, but that does not yet apply to work settings nor does it apply to on-campus residential settings.

Because of the current CDC recommendations, we are staying cautious with what we are asking fully vaccinated people to do, especially considering the CDC cautions around medium- and large-sized gatherings.

In addition, we cannot currently assume who might be vaccinated and who might not be. In most settings on campus, including classrooms, presentations, group work, and more, it would be inappropriate for anyone to ask a member of our community about vaccination status.

Finally, as the case rates in Michigan and Kent County are starting to climb again, this continues to be a good time for us to be careful. As the White House COVID-19 response coordinator said this past weekend: “It’s clear there is a case for optimism, but there is not a case for relaxation.”

Getting Vaccinated on Campus

Health Services is starting to get a regular, but limited supply of Johnson and Johnson vaccine.

In order to serve our Calvin community, we are going to invite individuals to register for the vaccine.

Appointments for the vaccine should not be scheduled over the phone or by emailing Health Services.

Individuals will be invited by prioritization based on age and health risks with 60% of available vaccine for those over 50 and 30% for those under 50 who have a compromised immune system. Remaining doses will be offered to others eligible to receive the vaccine according to the date they registered for it.

We strongly encourage you to stay registered through other local registration options in addition to Health Services, using Vaccinate West Michigan. This will expedite your ability to get vaccinated in a timely manner because Health Services has such a limited supply each week.

National Doctors’ Day

Today is National Doctors’ Day. Though our Health Services team is much more than just our on-campus physician, Dr. Laura Champion (and she would be the first to tell you that), we would be remiss to not use this occasion to celebrate the work of Dr. Champion and the other providers in our Health Services office. During a normal school year, their efforts are often behind-the-scenes but vital. During a year of COVID, what these medical professionals have provided our campus has been invaluable and immeasurable. Thank you, Health Services!

Holy Week Worship

Those interested in in-person worship this week should reserve a spot using the links below. Also, we encourage you to consider worshiping on campus this Easter to decrease the likelihood of any accidental or unknowing transmission into a local church congregation.

Asymptomatic Screening at Calvin

Our weekly random surveillance screening clinic is for students who do not have symptoms. The likelihood of being invited for a random screening multiple times this semester is high, but so is our confidence that this practice is making a difference in preventing asymptomatic spread of the virus! A reminder that students (and employees) with symptoms—no matter how mild—should report their symptoms through #CampusClear or the Health Services patient portal. Same-day testing appointments are available Monday-Friday for sick students and employees as indicated by CDC guidelines. Finally, students who have been vaccinated may opt out of COVID-19 weekly screening by uploading proof of vaccination to the COVID reporting form.

Stay healthy, stay safe and stay #CalvinStrong.

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