Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

As we begin the month of May, we look ahead to final exams, commencements at the LMCU ballpark, the different pace of summer, and much more. It might be a smidge early to say, “we did it,” but for many of us on CRT, it is starting to sink in that the 2020-21 school year is almost complete. No doubt, the same is true for many in our Calvin community. In this busy week, we offer a few updates below and our encouragement, as always, to keep masking up, keep social distancing, keep using #CampusClear, and, if you are able, to get vaccinated.

NEW THIS WEEK

  • Get Vaccinated at Health Services
  • When to Stop (Or Continue) #CampusClear
  • Plan for Students in Isolation or Quarantine
  • Surveillance Screening Clinics Numbers

Get Vaccinated at Health Services

We have some vaccine available at Calvin’s Health Services – both the two-shot Moderna and the one-shot Johnson and Johnson – so if you have not yet been vaccinated and would like to do so through Health Services, please use www.calvin.edu/go/vaccine-interest-survey to let us know of your interest, and we will work to schedule you for either one appointment or two, depending on which vaccine you would like. It is likely that we will have a small supply of both Moderna and Johnson & Johnson all summer, so letting us know of your interest will help us stay in touch with you and get you scheduled as more vaccine becomes available.

Also, the West Michigan Vaccine Clinic at DeVos Place, which has delivered 200,000 (and counting) vaccines, has just announced that it will wind down services by May 21. After that date, vaccine efforts will be directed toward smaller, community-based clinics where there is continued need. But you can continue to sign up for the Pfizer vaccine via the Spectrum Health website (options for both Spectrum and non-Spectrum patients). And if you have questions about the vaccines, the getvaccineanswers website has lots of great info as does this recent Chimes interview with Calvin biology professor and immunologist Anding Shen called “Ask an Immunologist: Prof. Shen on Five Vaccine Myths.”

When to Stop (or Continue) #CampusClear

As we transition to summer, we know many people in our community will be leaving Grand Rapids and others will be in West Michigan but not spending time on Calvin’s campus. If that is true for you, then you no longer need to use #CampusClear.

Also, anyone who might be on campus this summer – either students taking in-person summer classes or working on campus or faculty and staff who will be physically present at Calvin for various reasons – should use #CampusClear only if you have symptoms. This is a change from the 2020-21 academic year when we wanted everyone to use #CampusClear every day, regardless of whether they had symptoms.

So, to summarize, this summer you only need to use #CampusClear if you are symptomatic and are a person who is regularly coming to campus. All others can put the app on hibernate until the 2021-22 school year begins. And thanks to all who so faithfully used #CampusClear this past year. 

Plan for Students in Isolation or Quarantine

In conjunction with the Kent County Health Department, we have reduced our quarantine period for students who were a close contact of a confirmed positive test from 14 days to 10 days if the person in quarantine is not symptomatic. The isolation period for students who had a confirmed positive test is also 10 days.

What this means is that we are now at the point in the semester where a student who goes into isolation or quarantine may not yet be at the 10-day release point before the semester officially ends with the last exams on May 13. We urge students to remain in isolation or quarantine and refrain from travel until their official release at the conclusion of their period of isolation or quarantine. Please know that we will care for and provide support for all students who are still in isolation or quarantine when the semester ends, including housing and meals for all on-campus students. 

As we are now in the final days of the semester, this week is especially not a time to let your guard down and end up in an isolation or quarantine situation where you would need to stay on campus after everyone else has left for the summer.

Surveillance Screening Clinics Numbers

We have sent a letter of thanks to the many, many volunteers who made our on-campus surveillance screening clinics work so well. And we extend our thanks to the students who faithfully took part in this process all year. We ran nearly 5,000 screenings in 2020-21 and caught some 20 positive cases – people who had no idea they were positive and could have thus unknowingly spread the virus to others in our community. A special word of thanks to CRT member John Witte for his yeoman’s work this year heading up our on-campus clinics.

Negative COVID Test for Those Traveling Outside the U.S.

We are offering by-appointment-only testing for students and others who need to travel outside the U.S. at the conclusion of the semester and need proof of a negative COVID test to enter their destination country. 

For travel to countries that allow a negative rapid antigen test, students can take an antigen test at Calvin at no cost. Visit www.calvin.edu/go/covid-screening for available dates, or email your request to covidsurveillancetesting@calvin.edu.

However, some countries may require a PCR test for entry, and we are also offering a by-appointment-only rapid PCR test with same-day results. The cost will be $150 (cash or credit card; no insurance) and can be requested using the patient portal.

Stay safe, stay healthy, stay #CalvinStrong.

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