2/4 COVID Update
A lot to digest today, friends. Let’s get right to it.
Students and families received a message today about a surge in cases on our campus. We are taking measures to mitigate the spread, including: moving all dining to grab and go, enforcing the 10 pm curfew, limiting access to residence halls/student apartments to only those who live there, moving all student organization activities online, and limiting access to certain campus facilities and services. Read the full details here.
An important change was also made to our processes for off-campus undergraduate students. Due to the surge in cases, we are no longer requiring off-campus undergrads to quarantine or isolate at the hotel; they will quarantine or isolate in their off-campus residence. However, for off-campus undergraduate students who are currently at the hotels, this does NOT mean they can pack up right now and go home. If you are currently at the hotel, you must finish your isolation or quarantine there.
Due to the surge in cases, contact tracing is going slower than normal. Here is what your student should do if they are awaiting a call from a contact tracer or case investigator:
- If you have symptoms, assume you have COVID-19. Begin self-quarantine immediately and report your symptoms on your SneezSafe daily survey immediately. Avoid all contact with others until you have received medical direction.
- See CDC guidelines for isolation (positive for COVID) or quarantine (exposed to someone with a positive case) and review the Quarantine and Isolation website for details.
- If you test positive via an off-campus test (e.g., CVS, Walgreens, etc.) you must submit those results to the Student Health Service immediately via traceshs@wfu.edu. NOTE: Students should NOT call Student Health to report a positive test, use the traceshs@wfu.edu email; we want to keep the phone lines open for students who have symptoms and need help.
- Similarly, if students get a positive test after hours, they should not call the Student Health after hours line to ask what to do; they should only call the after hours nurse if they need medical guidance related to symptoms. Instead, they should review the Quarantine and Isolation website for details.
It is very important that students who had been scheduled for asymptomatic tests NOT go to the test site if they are feeling sick, or if they are told they have been exposed to a positive case. In those cases, students need to fill out the Reschedule Form for testing.
Going forward: it is critical that students avoid gatherings, parties, and unmasked hangouts – whether that is within a clique of friends, a student organization, whatever. Please, please stress to your students that this is a time to NOT get together for a Superbowl party or weekend blowout. We have to focus on what works – masking, social distancing, etc. so that we can turn these numbers around.
The good news in all of this is that we know what works to reduce COVID: by following the guidelines and adhering to our enhanced public health measures, we anticipate the spread of infection can be reduced.
Finally today, I want to acknowledge that this is a high volume time, both in terms of COVID but also for incoming questions, comments, or feedback. We are doing our best in our Call Center and also via our COVID form to answer questions, and I want everyone to know we are collecting all feedback and sharing it with our COVID leadership team, so they are aware of families’ feedback or concerns. Even if we cannot guarantee a personal follow up due to the high volume we are experiencing at present, know we are hearing and sharing everyone’s comments. This is not the normal Wake Forest warmth we want to show you, but our current circumstances require all hands on deck for immediate student and operational needs. The Call Center will be open from 10am-5 pm Eastern through this Sunday to assist you (336.758.7500).
Thank you for your patience in these extraordinary circumstances.