Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,
Getting sick is absolutely no fun under any circumstances but with COVID there are even greater consequences. Testing positive for COVID means mandatory isolation for 10 days – which means no in-person class, no athletic competitions, no club or extracurricular activities, and no interacting with friends. And… it’s highly contagious which means you have very likely spread it to your roommates and friends who have to undergo the same isolation procedures.
We don’t want you to have to go through this, so please do this one simple thing to help alleviate the spread of illness: wear your mask in indoor public spaces.
With coronavirus infections caused by the Delta variant now making up more than 99 percent of all new coronavirus infections in the United States, we want to make sure as a campus we are doing all we can to protect our community from transmitting this highly contagious variant of COVID-19.
The single easiest way to do that is to wear your mask. It protects you, it protects your friends, and it protects your professors. It also helps limit the possibility that you unknowingly pass along the virus to those who are more vulnerable, such as unvaccinated children, the elderly, and the immunocompromised.
Updated Mask Guidance
Due to the rise in cases in our community and the resulting strain on our healthcare providers, Carroll has instituted temporary mask requirements on campus. As was communicated last week, effective September 28, Carroll’s COVID-19 temporary policies include:
- All students and faculty are required to wear masks in classrooms, labs, and instructional areas.
- In addition, masks are required in the library and public spaces in instructional and administrative buildings – including hallways, lobbies and study areas.
- Masks are required in the Campus Center (with the exception of those who are actively eating and drinking).
- All Carroll employees are required to wear masks indoors and in office areas where they are less than six feet apart from other individuals.
- Masks are also required for spectators – both the public and students – for all indoor athletic events and indoor public events and meetings (receptions, lectures, plays, etc.).
These are temporary measures that are re-evaluated weekly. It requires all of us to do our part and wear our masks for us to eventually get to a point where we can relax these requirements.
Vaccination Clinics
We want to remind our campus community that if you received your 1st dose vaccination at either one of our on-campus vaccination clinics, August 22 or September 13, you are now eligible to receive your 2nd dose.
Medical professionals stress that it is critically important to get your 2nd dose to provide you with the best protection possible against COVID-19 and the Delta variant. With Pfizer, effectiveness against symptomatic illness with the Delta variant jumps from 31% (1st dose) to 88% (2nd dose).
There are multiple vaccination opportunities in the Helena community. One of the most convenient for our students is the CVS pharmacy just across Benton Avenue in the Lundy Center. Follow this link for information.
St. Peter’s Health also has a walk-in vaccination clinic – no appointments necessary – at St. Peter’s Health Medical Group – Broadway Clinic, 2550 Broadway St. Follow this link for information.
For additional vaccination opportunities in Helena, please visit the Lewis and Clark County vaccine distribution page.
Remember to bring:
- Photo ID
- Your insurance card
- Your CDC vaccination card if it is your 2nd dose
If you have any questions about the COVID-19 vaccines, contact your healthcare provider, our Wellness Center, or we can put you in touch with several of our Carroll College Board of Trustee members who are physicians in the Helena community.
Emergency COVID Funding for Students
We want to remind students to apply as soon as possible for the additional emergency funding made available through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund III (HEERF III) authorized by the American Rescue Plan (ARP). Please follow this link for more information on how to apply.
We can’t get beyond this pandemic without the support of everyone. Thank you, Saints, for doing your best for all of us.
The Marching Forward Team