COVID Case Response on Campus

The Mines COVID-19 Response Initiator Team (CRIT) was established to work closely with Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) to initiate Mines’ response to confirmed and presumed COVID-19 cases and conduct contact tracing on the Mines campus to ensure Mines is in the best position possible to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 within our campus community.

CRIT’s hours of operation are Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Any reports received outside those hours will be addressed the following day.

Contact tracing graphicWhat does contact tracing entail? Here is a helpful infographic from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment that explains it better than we can.

What CRIT does

CRIT’s main objectives are:

  • Keep Mines open for in-person learning
  • Help reduce transmission of COVID-19 on campus
  • Initiate rapid response to confirmed and presumed COVID-19 cases on campus, including:
    • Make contact with confirmed/presumed cases
    • Identify and notify close contacts within the campus community
    • Provide direction regarding isolation and quarantine
    • Provide information and resources to impacted campus community members
    • Notify Facilities Management, Registrar’s Office, Residence Life and other campus departments, as necessary, to initiate service adjustments, operational changes, cleaning/disinfection of affected areas, and/or temporary re-housing arrangements
    • Provide notification to Jefferson County Public Health as necessary
    • Ensure campus notifications are made, as necessary

A top CRIT priority is communicating with those campus community members who are asked to take special action (quarantine/isolation) due to illness or exposure. Those believed to have had close contact with a positive case will be notified as soon as possible and instructed to take specific actions immediately. If you are not notified, no special action is required, provided you remain symptom-free.

NOTE: CRIT’s sole focus is the Mines campus community (faculty, students and staff). Contact tracing for cases and exposure that occur outside of the Mines community will be conducted by the local public health department of the county in which the individual resides. (In Golden, this is Jefferson County Public Health.)

Mines community members are required to participate in contact tracing efforts as part of their commitment to The Oredigger Promise.

Who we are

CRIT members come from departments across campus, including Environmental Health & Safety, Student Life, Campus Events, Continuing Education and Athletics.

Team Director: Barb O’Kane, Environmental Health & Safety Director

Team Lead: Carolyn Dennee, Assistant Athletic Director for Internal Operations