Dear Friends,
As we start the academic year, we are writing to share the College’s current protocols with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic. The federal government no longer classifies COVID as a public health emergency because of widespread immunity resulting from vaccinations and prior infections and because significantly fewer cases lead to severe illnesses or death. That said, we want the community to be aware of our safety measures since contracting COVID is no fun for anyone and can carry higher risks for our campus and local community members who are elderly or immune-suppressed.
Our current protocols are informed by updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as well as a team of medical professionals, and esteemed Haverford alums, who are infectious disease experts. The full protocols are detailed on our Be Safe, Friends website, and we draw your attention to the main points highlighted below:
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Our campus community is mostly vaccinated (99% of students; ~95% of employees);
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We are a mask-friendly campus and encourage students, employees, and guests to wear masks to take personal protective measures;
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Event hosts, inclusive of instructors in classrooms, can require attendees to wear masks;
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Anyone displaying cold or flu-like symptoms should remain at home (for employees) or in their room (for students), take a COVID self-test, and mask in the presence of others;
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Self-tests and testing appointments are available at local Rite Aid and CVS;
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Students who test positive must isolate for at least 5 days within their assigned rooms, notify Health Services at hc-healthservices [at] haverford.edu or (610) 896-1089, and follow CDC guidelines;
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Roommates and suitemates of students who have tested positive will not be relocated but should mask, keep safe distances, and take a self-test 5 days after exposure to a COVID-positive person;
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Faculty and staff who test positive should notify their supervisor and Human Resources at hc-hr-covidnotify [at] haverford.edu; and
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Anyone who tests positive should notify people with whom they have been in close contact.
Given what we now know about COVID transmission, we are likely to see positive cases on campus over the next few weeks because a large number of people are arriving from various locations, many of whom may have had recent exposure to the virus from end-of-summer social activities. We want to do our level best to keep our community healthy and encourage masking indoors for the first few weeks of the semester if you are carrying higher risks for COVID-related illness or just want to take extra precautions.
Health Services will offer a flu vaccine clinic later this semester and encourages students and employees to take advantage of this opportunity to boost our collective immunity against influenza.
Thank you for your attentiveness to our health and safety protocols.
Sincerely,
John McKnight
Dean of the College
Nico Washington
Vice President for Finance and Administration