September 10, 2021 – Round 2 Baseline COVID Testing Update

Dear Whitman community,

Now that we have completed the first full week of classes and our two rounds of baseline testing, it’s a good opportunity to take a moment and evaluate how successful our layers of protection have been so far in keeping our campus community safe from COVID.

Baseline Testing Results

As I shared last week, we were pleased with the results from our Round 1 testing, which identified six positive cases and had an overall positivity rate of 0.5%. The good news continues as we look at our Round 2 results:

0 positive employee tests
4 positive student tests; through our follow-up testing protocol (outlined in the August 31 Round 1 Baseline Testing Update), 2 were confirmed as positive, 1 identified as a likely false positive, and 1 identified as likely not a current infection
2 confirmed active cases
2,001 total tests
0.2% positivity rate

These numbers are encouraging, in that they signify that our protocols of vaccination, masking, testing and contact tracing remain effective in minimizing the risk of transmission on campus.

Weekly (Non-Baseline) Testing Results

We will continue to update the data on our COVID-19 Dashboard each week on Monday, just as we did last year. Going forward this will include information from any tests performed at Welty Student Health Center as well as any positive cases in our campus community that are identified at outside testing locations. These numbers are important because they track any cases confirmed through contact tracing or symptomatic testing. To date this week, we have had five employees and one student with cases of COVID identified in this manner.

Ongoing Testing Plans

After reviewing the results of baseline testing and our updated COVID protocols, the Cabinet, faculty leadership and our consulting epidemiologist agree that surveillance testing is not necessary at this time. While there remain concerns about positive cases on campus and we know that widespread negative test results are reassuring on both an individual and communal basis, we believe that in our current situation it is better to focus our resources on symptomatic and exposure testing.

Should our symptomatic and exposure testing show increasing numbers of positive cases that may signify transmission on campus, we will consider implementing stricter protocols on campus. These may include surveillance testing as well as other options such as restrictions on non-academic gatherings, quarantining of residence hall sections or returning to grab-and-go dining.

Beginning Monday, September 13, we will offer the following testing services:

STUDENTS: Symptomatic and exposure testing at Welty Student Health Center; appointments are required and can be made by calling the health center at 509-527-5295.
EMPLOYEES: Symptomatic testing and exposure testing for employees who are a close contact to someone in the campus community with COVID-19 at Cordiner Hall, Monday–Friday from 12–1:30 p.m.
INDIVIDUALS WITH VACCINATION EXEMPTIONS: Required weekly testing for anyone with a vaccination exemption at Welty on Tuesday from 8:30–10 a.m.

This expanded testing practice requires additional resources, including hiring a new nurse and asking several of our long-time COVID testing volunteers for their continued assistance in addition to fulfilling their regular job responsibilities. Providing increased access to symptomatic and exposure testing for our Whitman community is an important step as we continue to prioritize campus health.

Symptomatic Testing Guidance

Typically, vaccinated people are either asymptomatic or have very mild symptoms if they contract the Delta variant. Their symptoms are more like those of a common cold, such as cough, fever or headache, with the addition of significant loss of smell. The full list of COVID-19 symptoms can be found in our Fall 2021 COVID-19 Protocols.

If you have COVID-19 symptoms that cannot be explained by another current illness or condition, you should self-isolate in your residence hall room or off-campus housing and do not attend classes or come to work until you get a negative COVID test. Employees should notify their supervisors and Human Resources and students should contact Welty Student Health Center.

Exposure Testing Guidance

We will offer exposure testing for all students, as well as for employees who are considered a close contact with someone on campus who has been confirmed to have COVID. This testing should take place 3-5 days following exposure. If an employee is a close contact with someone from outside the Whitman community, we ask that they get tested at a local community testing center or using an at-home test kit. More details on what to do if exposed to COVID are in our Fall 2021 COVID-19 Protocols.

Student Academic Accommodations and Notifications Following a Positive COVID Test

Following a confirmed case of COVID-19, students will receive excused absences for classes missed during the isolation period. When a student is issued an excused absence, the Dean of Students Office encourages the student to reach out to their professors to discuss how they can make up for missed work. Students may report to their professors that they have tested positive or that they are COVID-positive, though they are not required to do so. A student released from isolation will receive paperwork confirming that status. If a student has previously chosen to share with their professors that they have tested positive or that they are COVID-positive, then and only then may that professor ask to see that student’s paperwork before letting them attend class in-person.

Employment Accommodations and Notifications Following a Positive COVID Test

Following a confirmed case of COVID-19, staff should notify their supervisor and Human Resources. Based on the needs of their position as well as the severity of their symptoms, they may explore remote work options or COVID leave. Human Resources will notify the employee and their supervisor of the date the employee is eligible to return to on-campus work. If the employee shares that they tested positive with other members of the Whitman community, those community members may request to see the HR notification on the return-to-work date.

Following a confirmed case of COVID-19, faculty should notify the Provost and Human Resources. Based on the needs of their position as well as the severity of their symptoms, they may explore teaching classes online or other accommodations. Human Resources will notify the faculty member and the Provost of the date the faculty member is eligible to return to on-campus teaching. If the faculty member shares that they tested positive with other members of the Whitman community, those community members may request to see the HR notification on the return-to-work date.

Washington State Exposure Notification System (WA Notify)

One free, anonymous tool that we encourage you to use to in identifying possible COVID-19 exposures is WA Notify, a bluetooth tool that works on smartphones to alert users if they may have been exposed to COVID-19 without sharing any personal information. It is completely private and doesn’t know who you are or track where you go; neither the state of Washington nor Whitman College receive any information from it. For instructions and more information, visit the WA Notify website.

Our campus COVID numbers from the start of this semester have been encouraging, but we know we are located in a county with a low rate of vaccination and high coronavirus transmission. It is reasonable and right to remain diligent in how we each live individually and how we operate as a community at Whitman, and we will continue to evaluate our protocols in consideration of campus, local, state and national conditions. While it may seem that, taken individually, our COVID practices form a long and sometimes daunting list of things to remember, the reality is that when we put all these pieces in practice, they create a safe space where our faculty, staff and students can come together for in-person classes and on-campus work, knowing that we all are invested in the health of our community.

Best,
Peter Harvey
Chair, Coronavirus Task Force