Campus COVID-19 response update: March 12, 2021

In “before pandemic” times, did you normally work on campus? If so, you are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine under the state’s next phase – When Colorado enters Phase 1B.4 of its COVID-19 vaccination plan later this month, anyone working on the Mines campus this semester – or planning to work on campus this summer or fall – will qualify to get vaccinated as a “student-facing higher education employee.” This includes faculty and staff, as well as teaching assistants and other student workers – including those planning to be on campus this summer as camp counselors or peer mentors.

Mines is working on plans for on-campus vaccination clinics, but employees are highly encouraged to pursue appointments with a local healthcare system, pharmacy or other vaccine provider as soon as they are eligible. For a complete list of vaccine providers, visit the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment website.

COVIDCheck Colorado is also managing a registry for people want to get vaccinated, in partnership with many medical providers such as Centura. Once people register, CCC will send out invitations to those who are eligible when appointments are available.  Mines hopes to get CCC to open a vaccine site —on campus, but at this time, all of their vaccination sites are off campus.  To register for vaccination via COVIDCheck Colorado, please use this link.

Mines Climbs Together: Not just during the COVID-19 pandemic, but every semester, all the time, always – Mid-March. Waiting for Spring Break to get here. It’s that time of the semester where many Orediggers (and not just students – faculty and staff, too) are feeling like they’re at the end of their ropes. Maybe they are feeling stuck, overwhelmed, stressed out or even in despair. If you’re feeling that way, please know this: You aren’t alone. 

At Mines, we have a saying: “Every Oredigger cares. Every Oredigger thrives. Every Oredigger succeeds. At Mines, we climb together.” Here are some ideas for how you can help us live out our “Every Oredigger” ideal:

• Check on a friend or a colleague. Text, Zoom, Teams chat or make an old-fashioned phone call. Ask how they’re doing. Maybe get together for a socially distanced coffee, just catch up, or dream about Spring Break together. (Hey parents, maybe send your special homemade cookies and a note of encouragement?)
• Save this website to your bookmarks, or add this phone number to your contacts: Colorado Crisis Services, Text “TALK” to 38255, or call 844-493-TALK (8255). They are available 24/7 if you or anyone needs immediate help, or if you need advice on how to help someone else.
• Check out these resources to promote mental health, boost resiliency, and prevent suicide: mines.edu/everyoredigger/resources

Thanks for being part of our Mines community and for supporting one another. None of us can do it alone – and thankfully, we don’t have to.

A full return to campus in the fall: Mines leadership shares plans for Summer, Fall 2021 – In a message to Mines students, faculty and staff earlier today, President Paul C. Johnson and Provost Rick Holz laid out the plans being made for the Fall and Summer 2021 terms. “Given the projections for vaccine availability, we are planning to return in Fall 2021 to full in-person course delivery, vibrant on-campus living/learning communities, and providing the distinctive on-campus experience and education that Mines is known for. We will not be offering remote delivery options for most courses as we did this academic year. We anticipate using our classrooms, teaching labs, and research spaces at pre-COVID capacities,” they wrote. Priority registration for both Fall and Summer 2021 terms will begin as scheduled on Monday, April 5. Read the full message on the Mines Climbs Together website.

Winter storm to impact COVIDCheck Colorado testing this weekend – All COVIDCheck Colorado locations along the Front Range – including the testing site on the Mines campus – will be closed this weekend in anticipation of heavy snowfall. The Mines site will also be operating under a delay on Monday to provide time for roads and parking lots to be cleared. Testing hours on Monday are anticipated to be 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Reschedule your appointment now – or sign up for next week – at primarybio.com/a/mines.

COVID-19 Dashboard Update — The Mines COVID-19 dashboard was updated today, revealing 30 active cases on campus. A total of 2,158 tests were completed last week, with a positivity rate of 0.56 percent. Additional case details are available here.

There is one active outbreak on campus, in Mines Athletics. 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. The state’s outbreak report is updated each Wednesday at covid19.colorado.gov/covid19-outbreak-data.

Fully vaccinated? Self-report your vaccination status to Mines using this new portal – The Mines COVID-19 Response Initiator Team (CRIT) has launched a new portal for Mines community members to voluntarily report their vaccination status. Community members who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (meaning you have received all the necessary doses) are encouraged to report this information to the university.

CRIT will only use this information in the case that you are identified as a close contact of a positive case. In that event, CRIT will NOT issue a quarantine directive if they have record of you being vaccinated. Additionally, as part of our continued efforts to be transparent about the pandemic, Mines hopes to make the percentage of campus community members who have been vaccinated available as part of our COVID-19 Dashboard.

• Students: You can upload a copy of your vaccination record to the Student Health Center, via the Health Portal in Trailhead.
• Faculty and Staff: Once you submit the form, a member of CRIT will be in touch to verify your vaccination.

• Gather indoors with fully vaccinated people without wearing a mask.
• Gather indoors with unvaccinated people from one other household (for example, visiting with relatives who all live together) without masks, unless someone in the group is at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19.
• Skip getting tested and quarantining if you’ve been around someone who has COVID-19 – unless you have symptoms of COVID-19.