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Here is this week’s update regarding our ongoing College-wide efforts to safeguard the health of our community.
COVID-19 Testing
On Tuesday, Nov. 17, we held a voluntary COVID-19 testing clinic for community members who sought to be tested before we wrap up the on-campus portion of the fall 2020 semester. We are happy to report that 173 members of our community took the opportunity to be tested prior to their departure. We have received zero positive cases from this testing clinic. We are still awaiting a few more test results but this is tremendous news.
Here are our current COVID-19 statistics:
- We have had 36 identified positive cases since move-in day, Thursday, Aug. 13.
- We have had 26 positive cases since the beginning of classes, Wednesday, Aug. 19.
- We are currently managing 1 active positive case. Active cases are the positive cases that were reported within the past 7 days and who were on campus within the prior 14 days.
- We have 13 community members who have been identified as close contacts to a positive case and are quarantining for a mandatory 14 days.
- Since we began our testing clinics we have conducted 4427 tests, with 26 positive cases from those testing clinics.
As most of our students begin to transition home for the remainder of the semester, I want to first say thank you to all of our community members for the resiliency you have shown during the on-campus portion of this semester. The guidelines and protocols that the Health and Safety Task Force developed are not successful without buy-in from our campus community. We have shown that we are all in this together.
I encourage all of you to continue to show the same level of care and concern as we depart for this holiday season. While our numbers on campus have remained low, we will be met with challenges outside of the college. COVID-19 numbers are surging all around during times where we traditionally gather with family and friends. Please extend the same care and concern for our extended family as you have done for our Guilford College Community.
Please continue to take personal responsibility for your health and the health of the friends and family by practicing the 3 W’s:
- Wear a face covering when you are indoors. If you are in your own room or office with the door closed, you can remove it, but have it with you in case another person joins you. Wear a face covering outside when you can’t social distance (6 feet or more apart). Face coverings are not just one of the best tools we have to fight the spread of COVID-19, they are mandatory for everyone on campus. Do not go to class, meetings, indoor spaces, or any place where people gather without one.
- Wash your hands frequently and properly. Use soap. Take 20 seconds. Do it right to help promote good hygiene.
- Wait: Keep your distance. Stay at least 6 feet apart whenever possible. Close, prolonged contact is a proven way to spread COVID-19, so avoid it as much as possible.
- Limit the number of attendees as much as possible to allow people from different households to remain at least 6 feet apart at all times. Guests should avoid direct contact, including handshakes and hugs, with others not from their household. As a reminder based on North Carolina regulations, no gathering should be more than 10 people indoors and 50 people outdoors.
We will resume our weekly communication on Dec. 4. Please remember that if you have any questions related to COVID-19 and our efforts to mitigate the pandemic on campus, please call the COVID-19 hotline at 336.316.2319. We are all in this together!