COVID case numbers at Calvin this week have increased fairly dramatically from previous weeks, both for on- and off-campus residents and among vaccinated and unvaccinated students. The COVID Response Team is communicating the following cautions to all students:
Wear your mask in indoor spaces. For on-campus residents, it is now recommended that you wear them in hallways and on floors, places where you had more freedom to remove them in the past. Protect yourself and protect others. Our vaccination rates have helped tremendously as we work to prevent COVID spread, but masks make a big difference too.
In particular, wear your masks PROPERLY—and wear them CONTINUOUSLY—at large events such as sporting events in the VanNoord Arena or other student activities. Spectator and audience limitations will be considered if mask compliance falters or if cases continue to rise.
Generally, avoid crowds in tight, indoor spaces and public spaces such as restaurants and stores.
If you have a cold or other symptoms you wonder about, stay home and away from others, and get some advice. Use the #Campus Clear App and contact Health Services at Calvin. It’s worth knowing, both for yourself and for those around you, if you have COVID or if you just have a cold or the flu.
As we approach Thanksgiving Break, we want you to be able to study, learn, play, and eventually travel without any health-related complications. Please be wise about illness prevention. Be part of the solutions for reducing spread. Be well!
The COVID Response Team