COVID-19 Dashboard Update – The Mines COVID-19 dashboard was updated today, revealing 23 active cases on campus. A total of 2,373 tests were completed last week. Additional case details are available here. There are currently three active COVID-19 outbreaks on the Mines campus, as defined by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment:
- Bradford Hall
- Spruce Hall
- Kappa Sigma
CDPHE defines outbreaks as two or more individuals within a cohort (facility, business, non-household group) who have tested positive for COVID-19 within a 14-day period. One positive case plus two or more probable cases within the same time period also triggers outbreak reporting requirements. The state’s outbreak report is updated each Wednesday at covid19.colorado.gov/covid19-outbreak-data.
NOTE: In Mines residence halls, students who test positive for COVID-19 and their close contacts are moved off the floor to separate isolation/quarantine spaces elsewhere on campus. In cases where floor spread is a concern, students are asked to quarantine in their rooms and attend classes virtually for a set period of time. Residence Life staff monitor students in isolation and quarantine and provide meals and other support.
Received a COVID Report email from Notify@TeamDynamix? It’s not spam! – As part of the Mines Community Member COVID Reporting Tool’s move to the Mines Help Center, messages from CRIT are now coming from a new source: Team Dynamix. Follow-up messages to Mines community members in isolation, quarantine and close observation will have a sender of notify@teamdynamixapp.com with the subject line “Team Dynamix Case Comment Added (COVID Report).” Please open these messages promptly for important updates on timelines, testing reminders and more.
Official group quarantine and close observation notifications will still come from the Mines Alert system (phone call, text and email). Speaking of which, now is a great time to double check that Mines has the correct cell phone number listed for you in the emergency alert system (find the directions here).
If you’ve had exposure to someone with COVID-19, don’t come to campus – A number of recent COVID-19 cases among our campus community have been traced to individuals who had known exposure to someone who tested positive for COVID-19 but came to campus anyway. If you have had close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 14 days (close contact: face-to-face contact within 6 feet, for 15 minutes or longer, regardless of mask use) you must reach out to CRIT immediately using the COVID Reporting Tool or via email at crit@mines.edu for further guidance. CRIT will advise you to quarantine for a period of time and get tested. Our community’s active participation in CRIT’s work is an essential part of keeping in-person classes going this semester.
Just because you test negative doesn’t mean you’re clear – Test results are just a snapshot of your viral situation on the day you test. Testing negative after a known exposure doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. COVID-19 has an incubation period of 14 days and can take that long from the time you were exposed to the time you develop the infection/trigger a positive test result. So, even if you test negative immediately after exposure, it’s still possible that you could develop the virus (and potentially transmit it to others) within the next two weeks. CRIT will advise you on when to test and what to do with your test results.
Speaking of testing, make sure you schedule your COVID-19 tests with the correct link – To schedule a free COVID-19 test with our testing partner COVIDCheck Colorado, Mines community members (students, faculty and staff) should always use the Mines-specific scheduling link (primarybio.com/a/mines), not the State of Colorado community system – even if you’re wanting to test at a COVIDCheck Colorado site other than the one on campus. You will know you are using the right system when you see the Mines logo at the top of the page and “Mines” in the URL. The State of Colorado system (primarybio.com/l/cdphe) should only be used by those who do not have a Mines CWID – the family members or non-Mines housemates of Mines employees or students, for example.
“We can’t let up now.” Hang in there, Colorado (and Orediggers) – Staying home when you’re able to stay home – and wearing a mask when you have to be out – will help end the pandemic sooner and put these hard times behind us. That’s the message from this Colorado advertising campaign – and sage advice for all of us at Mines to follow as the spring semester moves forward. “We can’t let up now. It’s important to continue to protect yourself and your family from COVID-19 until a large portion of Coloradans have been vaccinated,” state epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy said earlier this week. Read more about the campaign at hangintherecolorado.com.
Research access request requirement lifted – In an email on Friday, Jan. 22, Stefanie Tompkins, vice president for research and technology transfer, informed campus that research access requests are no longer required to work in campus research facilities. However, everyone using those spaces must still follow these guidelines:
- Use FOM or the appropriate scheduling tools for your department to commit to specific dates and times for your lab access.
- Contact the lab manager to make sure you have completed safety and other training required to use the lab.
- Contact the building proctor for building and lab access as needed.
- Comply with all applicable state and local public health orders, campus health and safety guidance and laboratory safety rules.
Contact rtt@mines.edu with questions about what is required under any public health orders or campus guidance.
King Soopers on South Golden Road among pharmacies offering COVID-19 vaccine – Many local healthcare providers are now offering the COVID-19 vaccine to Coloradans ages 70 and older. For the most current list of vaccine providers, visit the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment website. Those eligible can sign up for an appointment with the provider of their choice. Select grocery store pharmacies in Jefferson County have also begun scheduling COVID-19 vaccine appointments for adults 70 and older. For a list of locations, check out this fact sheet from Jefferson County Public Health.
Are you still reading? Wow. – If you’ve made it all the way to the bottom of this email, you know we pack a lot of information into these notifications. We hope that’s helpful. We populate the Mines Climbs Together website with many of these tips, but did you know we also post each issue of this email there as well? If you’re looking for information on testing for students not living on campus, the latest on vaccine distribution to faculty and staff and revised state leave information (all of which was included in last week’s issue), you can find all of that and more on mines.edu/coronavirus by visiting our emergency alert page.