President lifts shelter in place

By Zoe Finholm

Hood College’s shelter- in-place order will be lifted on Sept. 10 at 7 a.m.

The college was under lockdown pending the results COVID testing on several students after one student tested positive for the virus over the weekend. Others who came into contact with the student were quarantined. Those individuals were found through contact tracing.

Since Saturday, 22 individuals were put in quarantine and was tested for the virus. Eight tested positive and are in isolation.

“The shelter-in-place was enacted in an over-abundance of caution to ensure that the cluster of cases we were following did not spread and to provide time to gain a better understanding of its potential extent on campus,” President Andrea Chapdelaine said Wednesday.

Chapdelaine says that the college plans to “retest all residential students, essential employees and any other members of the campus community who wish to be tested.”

In regard to the visitation policy, Chapdelaine said, “We had planned on loosening the visitor policy in mid-September. Because I believe that we all have collectively learned from these events and are all strongly committed to ensuring it does not occur again, I hope that we can still do so in the coming weeks.”

During the lockdown, students were unable to leave their rooms, except to use the bathrooms or to pick up meals. Students could only eat in their dorms and the fitness center, Whitaker Campus Center and The Blazer were closed.

Every area of the campus has been rearranged to allow for social distancing. The dining hall has markers on the floor to keep students 6 feet apart and reduced self-serve options, seating in classrooms has been moved to the appropriate distance, and furniture in the dorm rooms have been moved 6 feet apart.

“Do not move furniture to create larger social groups, whether in the buildings or in the tents” Chapdelaine reminds students.

Upon arrival to campus, students had to sign the Heart, Mind & Hands pledge. Chapdelaine said that the pledge is “a serious commitment” and “everyone signing that pledge is saying that they have the resiliency, courage and resolve to do their part to take care of each other.”

The Campus Clear app is essential for students and faculty members to complete before coming to campus. Vice President for Marketing and Communications Laurie Ward reminded everyone to “stay in the habit [of using Campus Clear],” to continue keeping the school’s population safe.

Ward also explained that there is an incentive for using Campus Clear. She said that students will be entered into a drawing for a $20 Amazon gift card. Students will get one entry per day they use the app. Three to five students will be chosen to win every spirit Friday.

Chapdelaine reiterated that “being here is a privilege. I do not want any student to have to leave, but we will not hesitate to remove anyone from campus who is not following the rules.”

Ward described the indicators that would determine if the campus can stay open, or if the school should move to online instruction. A number of factors help the faculty to make that decision, including “how many positive cases we have currently, how many isolation beds we have available, what the positivity rate is in the county, if tests are available, [and] if hospital beds are available,” Ward said. These factors are being monitored daily.

Some have expressed worries about having people on campus who tested positive for the virus. “Health experts state that as long as you are wearing a mask, washing your hands, monitoring symptoms and social distancing, the risk of contraction is extremely low,” Chapdelaine said.

Throughout the semester, students should continue to social distance, wear masks, sanitize their hands and high-touch surfaces and monitor their symptoms using the Campus Clear app.

If you have any COVID-19 related questions or concerns, contact covidquestions@hood.edu.

“My belief in the strength of the Hood community and our willingness to have this different kind of semester has been tested but remains steadfast. Yes, we are forgoing some things, but we are also gaining so much more – fortitude, compromise, flexibility and the opportunity to be together in community,” Chapdelaine said.