Click here for all COVID-19, Coronavirus updates.
We are excited to welcome back our community members as they begin returning to campus. Here is this week’s update regarding the ongoing College-wide efforts to safeguard the health of our community.
Please read the full update for vital information on planning considerations for the spring 2021 semester, including testing and information on vaccinations.
URGENT NOTICE
Students arriving on campus should immediately enter a quarantine period until a negative test result is received. This means that they need to stay in their room and not interact with others, only leaving to get food from the Dining Hall or to use the bathroom in corridor style halls. We cannot emphasize enough the importance of wearing your face covering even while in your residence-hall room. We won’t know who is infected with the virus until everyone is tested. For safety's sake, always assume everyone has the virus, including you.
COVID-19 Testing
Dec. 4
- Participants: 231 faculty and staff
- Positive Cases: 0 (Some results still pending.)
Future Testing Events*
- Friday, Jan. 8 (Postponed due to weather.)
- Saturday, Jan. 9 (Make-up date for those scheduled to be tested Jan. 8)
- Sunday and Monday, Jan. 10,11 (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
*All testing clinics will be held in Ragan Brown Field House unless otherwise directed. Testing results can be expected within 24 to 48 hours.
Staying Safe During the Spring Semester
The COVID-19 pandemic requires all of us to be aware of our behavior, adhere to important community standards, and keep the health of ourselves and our community in mind at all times. We are returning to campus while cases within North Carolina are exceeding 10,000 per day. While we kept our numbers reasonably low during the fall semester, the spring semester brings new challenges that will require more vigilance and adherence to our COVID-19 protocols. Please ensure you have downloaded and read the StayHealthy@GuilfordCollege: Reopening Campus 2020, call the COVID-19 Hotline with any questions (336.316.2319), and frequently visit the COVID-19 website for updates. Remember a few key points:
- Wear a face covering when you are indoors. If you are in your own room or office with the door closed and by yourself 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 a mask. Based on guidance of health authorities, the following are not acceptable face coverings: neck gaiters, open-chin triangle bandanas, and face coverings containing valves, mesh material, or holes of any kind.
- Wash your hands frequently and properly. Use soap. Take 20 seconds. Do it correctly 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.
- Monitor yourself for symptoms. If you feel ill, do not come to campus. Call the COVID-19 Hotline or your personal health-care provider to ask if you need to be tested.
Reporting Forms
The College continues to urge all members of the Guilford community to proactively protect against, monitor, and report any potential virus symptoms they experience or observe in others. To that end, Guilford asks the community to utilize these tools:
- COVID-19 Self-reporting form: Guilford College will continue to utilize the Covid-19 Self-Reporting Form for faculty, staff, and students. The form is to be submitted by an individual when:
- You have been instructed to self-quarantine for suspected COVID-19 infection.
- You have received a positive COVID-19 test result.
- You are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. (fever, cough, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, nausea, change in taste or smell)
- You have been in close contact with a COVID-19 positive individual.
- Check your email for the QR Code for the self reporting.
- Anonymous reporting form: We have a COVID-19 Anonymous Reporting Form to anonymously report a health concern for you or someone else in the Guilford College community. Use it to report a concern for a fellow community member (faculty, staff, or student) who is not following current guidelines. Concerns reported regarding faculty and staff will be directed to Human Resources. Concerns for students will be sent to Student Affairs.
Guilford College will take every effort to protect personally identifiable information shared in these documents and will not disclose your identity or the identity of anyone with a coronavirus diagnosis unless disclosure to safety and first aid personnel is required for emergency treatment or is otherwise required by law.
COVID-19 Hotline
The COVID-19 Hotline: (336.316.2319) acts as a centralized COVID-19 support resource to all Guilford College community members. The hotline is housed at the Milner Counseling Center. It's operated by Public Health interns who are trained to respond to questions with information about proper procedures and points of contact if there is a possible case on
campus. Information available through the hotline will include but is not limited to:
- General information about transmission and common COVID-19 symptoms
- Appropriate steps for presumptive cases (showing symptoms or contact with others testing positive)
- Collection of information from confirmed positive cases on activities and contacts over the previous 48 hours for contact tracing purposes
- Appropriate measures for returning to campus/classes
All Contact Tracing data collected will be shared with the Greensboro Public Health department and the N.C. Department of Health for coordinated reporting to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
If you're interested in becoming an intern please reach out to Dr. Michele Malotky (mmalotky@guilford.edu) or Kunga Denzongpa (denzongpaki@guilford.edu) for more information.
COVID-19 Vaccine
The Health and Safety Task Force is shifting its attention to developing a vaccination strategy for Guilford College. We understand there are a lot of unknowns and questions about the COVID-19 vaccine. To that end Guilford will produce programming to educate the community about the vaccine.
The Intercultural Engagement Center in the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, in collaboration with multiple offices on campus and in the community, is hosting a Let’s Talk COVID-19 VACCINE! forum from 3 to 4 p.m. on Thursday Jan. 21. Bring your questions, concerns, and affirmations about the COVID-19 vaccine. Experts will discuss the vaccines and how they impact health and diverse communities. The panelists for the forum include:
- Dr. Zoe Stallings (Family Medicine/Cone Health)
- Dr. Aleks Babić (Public Health/Guilford College)
- Dr. Michele Malotky (Immunology/Biology Guilford College)
Please click here to register for this event.
We look forward to the safe return of all of our community members. We will resume our weekly communication on Jan 15. Please remember that if you have any questions related to COVID-19 and our efforts to mitigate the pandemic on campus, you can call the COVID-19 Hotline at 336.316.2319. We are all in this together!