Dear Allegheny College Campus Community,
I am writing with an update on the COVID-19 response on campus.
Quick Overview:
- Campus positivity rate of 0.118% View the COVID-19 dashboard here.
- Entire campus population tested every two weeks
- Click here for more information regarding vaccine efficacy
- Masks are not required for vaccinated persons; N95 masks available for those who want them. Masks are useful for colds and other respiratory diseases, and we remind the community that many people wear masks for many different reasons.
- Keep our campus safe! Stay home if you feel ill and contact ACHA for a rapid test.
All students and employees were tested prior to moving on to campus. We had two people test positive during move-in, who are now in isolation. One was fully vaccinated; one was partially vaccinated. Contact tracing was completed and showed no exposed Allegheny College community members. Thank you, Gators, for creating this safe space at Allegheny College.
Testing: While the initial Allegheny College Pandemic Plan was to test students and employees one to two times per semester, that plan was made before the delta variant became prevalent. We are now testing the entire campus population every two weeks. This will ensure early detection of COVID-19, which will prevent an outbreak on campus and allow us to continue with our robust in-person experience. Test scheduling will be flexible, with early morning and evening hours available.
There have been questions about the efficacy of the various COVID-19 vaccines against the delta variant. The data has not been fully vetted yet, but we do know that while vaccinated persons can transmit the delta variant to others, they are infectious for a shorter period of time and that their respiratory droplets contain less viral particles. In addition, it is rare for vaccinated persons who test positive for COVID-19 to become hospitalized.
Given our extremely high vaccination rates and our testing protocols, masks are not currently required for vaccinated persons. If you feel ill, please stay home, wear a mask and contact ACHA for a rapid test. If your COVID test is negative, and you still have symptoms, a mask will prevent the spread of a cold or other respiratory virus to others. If you would like an N95 mask, please see Cindy Huya at the testing site in the Wise Center.
Gator Strong. Gator Safe.
Dr. Morrow