This Labor Day weekend, we are wearing our masks to support and thank the essential people and teams who are keeping us healthy during this pandemic. A special thank you to Facilities Management, the Student Wellness Center, Sodexo, CASA, ITS, Mines Police and Arthur Lakes Library.
Colorado’s Governor and Mines Wrestling remind you to stay safe (and wear that mask correctly) this holiday weekend—After the last holiday weekend (July 4), cases of COVID-19 went up in Colorado. This fact prompted Colorado Governor (and avowed Mines fan) Jared Polis to remind the state this week: “As we head into Labor Day weekend, it’s important to remember that the virus is still out there and although we can get together and have fun, we just have to be careful and responsible.” That means maintaining a social distance of 6 feet or more, washing hands frequently and, of course, wearing a mask.
This week the Mines Wrestling team released a helpful primer on how to wear your mask—and a few new reasons for why that can <gulp> be good for your health. Stay safe out there, Orediggers!
COVID-19 dashboard updated today—Mines’ COVID-19 dashboard was updated today with the latest results of Mines’ ongoing COVID-19 testing program, as well as other cases that the Mines COVID-19 Response Initiator Team (CRIT) is tracking. As of Friday, September 4, Mines had a cumulative total of 29 confirmed positive cases on campus. The dashboard is updated on Tuesdays and Fridays and is available here.
Sign up a family member to get this email each Friday—Mines parents and family members are now able to subscribe to receive each Mines Climbs Together update. To subscribe, they should visit https://www.mines.edu/coronavirus/sign-up-for-updates/. As a reminder, all past updates are available at www.mines.edu/coronavirus.
First snapshot from on-campus testing is in; next two-week cycle begins—Mines’ new COVIDCheck Colorado testing partners and a dedicated team of campus staff have been hard at work over the last two weeks implementing a COVID-19 testing program that is designed to help us detect and reduce transmission of the virus on our campus. In the two weeks since testing began on August 16, we completed our first campus snapshot, which included testing 2,494 students, faculty and staff. This first round returned 12 positive results (11 students and 1 employee)—a 0.5 percent positivity rate, which is lower than the state’s most recent 2.9 percent, seven-day positivity rate.
At the beginning of this week, Mines began its second round of testing. This two-week snapshot cadence will continue throughout the remainder of the fall semester. Students living in Mines residence halls, 1750 Jackson, Mines Park, fraternity and sorority houses and student-athletes will be tested every two weeks—as will on-campus faculty, teaching assistants and staff who elect to participate in this surveillance program. As we move forward, we also anticipate including non-campus residents as well.
Hey, don’t forget: Students and instructors have a role to play in cleaning classrooms, too—It’s not just our amazing Custodial Services staff who are responsible for keeping our on-campus learning environments clean in the age of COVID-19. The Oredigger Promise requires everyone to do their part—and that means using the provided cleaning supplies to wipe down your work/seating area before every class session. These cleaning supplies—typically in the form of a bottle of spray disinfectant and a paper towel dispenser—can be found near the entrances to all classrooms. Have an empty (or missing) spray bottle, or need a paper towel refill ASAP? Call Facilities Management at 303-273-3330, and they’ll take care of it.
Speaking of spray bottle disinfectant, recycling boxes are now available—Recycling boxes are now available for the 1-quart spray bottles of Oxivir disinfectant ordered from the Safety Supply Store. Recycling boxes are located near the stairs and elevators in Marquez, Alderson and CoorsTek. Another recycling box is located at the Chemical Store in the basement of Coolbaugh Hall.
Quarantine vs. isolation periods on campus. What’s the difference?
On-campus students who receive a positive test result are isolated for 10 days while they recover. Students under quarantine who did not receive a COVID-19-positive test result but were determined to have had close contact with a positive case. Per CDC guidance, in those cases, individuals are quarantined for 14 days, unless they come down with COVID-19 symptoms and test positive during their quarantine period.
Mines residents in isolation or quarantine are receiving support from several campus departments and teams. Students in our residence halls with meal plans are having food delivered from Mines Market during the term of their quarantine and are being offered laundry and mail services, in addition to other support.