In this first update of 2022 from the COVID Response Team at Calvin, we have several items that need your attention. Please see below for updates on:
- New CDC Guidance on Isolation and Quarantine
- Testing on Campus
- Masks on Campus
- Getting Vaccinated at Health Services
- Reporting a Recent Positive Covid Test
New CDC Guidance on Isolation and Quarantine
Released last week, new CDC guidance on COVID-19 isolation and quarantine requirements has been adopted at the state and local levels. These guidelines have also been adopted by Calvin and will be effective Monday, January 31, 2022 to provide an on-ramp as we implement the new requirements, particularly the requirements around quarantine and the new definition for what it means to be fully vaccinated.
As a reminder, people who are confirmed positive with COVID-19 are placed in isolation. People who are exposed to COVID-19 or deemed to be a close contact of someone known to have COVID-19 are placed in quarantine.
There are two main changes that you should be aware of (effective January 31, 2022 for Calvin):
First, the CDC is shortening the recommended time of isolation.
- People who test positive should isolate for five days. If, after five days, they are asymptomatic and/or have resolving symptoms, they may leave isolation but must continue to wear a mask for five days to minimize the risk of infecting others.
Second, the CDC is updating the recommended quarantine period for those exposed to COVID-19.
- For people who are unvaccinated or are more than six months past their second dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine (or more than two months after the J & J vaccine) and not yet boosted, the CDC now recommends quarantine for five days followed by strict mask use for an additional five days.
This means that people who were previously considered “fully vaccinated” (more than two weeks past their second dose of Pfizer or Moderna or the one-dose J & J vaccine) are no longer considered fully vaccinated unless they have received a booster or completed their initial vaccine series within the past six months. Thus, they would need to quarantine if they are a close contact of a confirmed positive. In addition, a positive COVID test in the past 90 days is no longer an exemption from quarantine.
Because of this, anyone in the Calvin community who needs a booster to meet the new CDC definition of fully vaccinated will need to do so by Monday, January 31, 2022, to be considered exempt from quarantine. We are also awaiting guidance on the definition of fully vaccinated as it pertains to employee testing and will keep the campus apprised of that process as we learn more information.
Health Services on Calvin’s campus has both Moderna and Pfizer vaccine available and will accept appointments for first and second doses, as well as for boosters. Health Services reopens January 6. Please contact Health Services at 526-6187, ext. 4, to make an appointment.
In terms of next steps, between now and January 31, we will be following the prior CDC guidance for isolation and quarantine, including 10 days instead of five and including quarantine exemptions for those who have had two shots (or one of J & J) and for those who had a positive test in the past 90 days. On January 31, that policy will sunset, and we will fully transition to the new CDC guidance described in the bullets above.
If you already received a booster dose of vaccine, please report it to Calvin using www.calvin.edu/go/covid-reporting, so we can ensure our records are up to date.
Testing on Campus
As we return to in-person learning and instruction, we are pleased to offer a three-week pilot program for testing, which features fully subsidized optional surveillance testing to all asymptomatic vaccinated or unvaccinated students, staff, and faculty who would like it. During this pilot phase, we will not be requiring surveillance testing of unvaccinated students as we did in the fall semester. Instead, testing will be optional, though strongly encouraged, for all students. Weekly testing for unvaccinated employees and for in-season student-athletes remains in effect.
This week the walk-in clinic is open 9-11 a.m. on Thursday and Friday and then 4-6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Beginning next week, the dates and times for the walk-in clinic in the Tennis and Track Center are:
- Mondays: 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
- Tuesdays: 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
- Wednesdays: 9 a.m.–Noon
- Thursdays:9 a.m.–Noon
- Fridays: Noon–3 p.m.
Note: Anyone who is experiencing COVID-like symptoms—no matter how slight—should use #CampusClear to report symptoms and should fill out the on-line Patient Portal through Health Services, which will assist with arranging diagnostic testing. The walk-in clinic is only for surveillance testing and is intended for people without any symptoms. #CampusClear can be downloaded, or you can use the website to report. See calvin.edu/covid-response/campusclear
Masks on Campus
As Omicron becomes the dominant variant in the U.S., health officials, including those on our campus, are becoming increasingly convinced of the importance of wearing good masks and wearing them properly. We recommend every member of our community consider upgrading their daily mask to an N95, KN95, KF94, or surgical mask, instead of a cloth mask.
As a reminder, proper wearing of the mask includes having it fully cover both the nose and the mouth and sealing it tightly to the face on the nose and cheeks so that there are no visible air gaps. Masks with pinchable metal wires around the nose are particularly effective because they help ensure that the mask is properly sealed to the face. Proper mask wearing is a key mitigation strategy on Calvin’s campus, and mask usage will be especially important under the new guidelines for those who have left isolation or quarantine and are masking for the additional five days recommended by the CDC (see additional information above regarding the new CDC guidelines which will go into effect at Calvin beginning January 31, 2022).
Getting Vaccinated at Health Services
The CDC also notes that data from South Africa and the United Kingdom show that a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose restores vaccine effectiveness against infection to 75%. Additionally, even those who have not had a booster still have much less risk of severe disease, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. They believe, and we agree, that vaccination remains the single best way to protect yourself and reduce the impact of COVID-19 on our communities.
Health Services on Calvin’s campus has both Moderna and Pfizer vaccine available and will accept appointments for first and second doses, as well as for boosters. Health Services reopens January 6. Please contact Health Services at 526-6187, ext. 4, to make an appointment.
As mentioned above, if you already received a booster dose of vaccine, please report it to Calvin using www.calvin.edu/go/covid-reporting, so we can ensure our records are up to date.
Reporting a Recent Positive COVID Test
Any students, staff, or faculty members who were diagnosed with COVID-19 over the Christmas break should report this information to Calvin using www.calvin.edu/go/covid-reporting.
This reporting will help us get a better sense of how our ongoing community immunity level is faring. If you were diagnosed with COVID-19 over the break, please let us know as soon as possible. Also, as we return to campus, please continue to use the #CampusClear App to report symptoms, positive test results, and close contacts and then follow the instructions in the app for testing and quarantine/isolation steps.
Wishing you all health and safety this week. We look forward to seeing you on campus soon.
The Covid Response Team (responseteam@calvin.edu)