As part of our ongoing efforts to protect the health of our community, the college’s Health Services office is continuing to provide a weekly update for students, faculty and staff to share COVID-19 testing results and reports of positive cases (on or off campus), as well as important reminders and resources to be aware of during the ongoing pandemic.
LATEST NEWS
- Please note: The virtual town hall meeting has been postponed to a date TBA.
Students are invited to attend a virtual town hall meeting on COVID-19 on Thursday, Feb. 11 from 4 to 5 p.m. via Zoom. Student Senate and college leaders will discuss important health and safety plans, including pooled surveillance testing policies and procedures and vaccine eligibility as well as the spring semester academic calendar, athletic competition, college events and more. Students who attend the town hall meeting will receive a $10 e-gift card to Subway. Students should register online in advance and will receive a confirmation email after registering with information about joining the meeting. - SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras was on campus last week to tour the college’s COVID-19 testing sites and get an overview of how Hudson Valley has been responding to the pandemic. I am happy to report that the chancellor was pleased with the college’s COVID-19 response and would like to thank you all for your ongoing efforts to keep one another and our greater community safe. Please keep up the good work as our spring semester gets fully underway!
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
- As of February 1, 2021, participation in weekly COVID-19 testing is now mandatory for all students, faculty and staff coming to campus. The Office of Human Resources sent out an important email communication to all employees detailing this requirement. Testing hours and locations, as well as detailed information on the testing process, can be found on the college’s Pooled Surveillance Testing webpage.
- Daily health screening is still required for all individuals coming to campus. However, it is important to have an accurate count of students, faculty and staff on campus, so please only complete the screening process when coming to campus.
- As COVID-19 vaccine distribution begins in our region, many people have questions about whether they are eligible to get the vaccine and when. If you have questions, please use New York State’s COVID-19 vaccine eligibility website to help you determine if you are eligible to receive a vaccine at this time, how to schedule an appointment, where to receive the vaccine, and other important information. Because vaccine distribution is handled by the state, Hudson Valley cannot answer these questions for you.
- Please be aware that SUNY has strengthened mask usage requirements on all public college campuses. All individuals must wear a mask covering their mouth and nose at all times while on campus, including when outdoors and when socially distanced.
- If you plan to come to campus for any reason, please take a moment to review the safety policies on the college’s COVID-19 webpage to ensure you are in compliance with all regulations first.
- As the region’s transmission and positive testing rates remain high, it is more important than ever to stay home if you are experiencing symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or if you feel sick in any way. Stay home if you have tested positive or been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 within the past two weeks.
CURRENT STATISTICS
SUNY’s COVID-19 tracking website provides data updated daily on COVID-19 cases and testing. During the past week, at Hudson Valley Community College:
- 1358 students, faculty and staff on campus participated in pooled surveillance testing.
- 3 of those individuals tested positive to date.
- 5 individuals reported testing positive through testing administered off campus.
COLLEGE RESPONSE
Please know that all individuals who have tested positive are isolating/quarantining off-campus until cleared to return by county and college health officials. As always, enhanced cleaning and disinfection has been completed in areas occupied by individuals testing positive for COVID-19 as well as areas occupied by individuals reporting symptoms consistent with COVID-19 who later tested negative. In accordance with health privacy laws, we cannot provide any personally identifying information about these individuals. College administrators work proactively and directly with county health departments to offer guidance and support to anyone affected by the virus. If contact tracing determines that you may have been exposed to an individual with COVID-19, a county health official or the college’s Health Services staff will contact you. You do not need to take any action unless you hear from them directly.
USEFUL RESOURCES
Detailed information on Hudson Valley’s COVID-19 safety measures and protocols are available on the college’s COVID-19 webpage. You may also contact your county health department for guidance, and or the NYS Coronavirus Hotline at 1-888-364-3065 with questions or concerns.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Please continue to keep these basic safety protocols in mind when you’re on campus:
- STAY HOME IF YOU’RE SICK
- COMPLETE DAILY HEALTH SCREENING
- PARTICIPATE IN WEEKLY POOLED TESTING
- WEAR FACE MASKS
- MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCE
- WASH HANDS OFTEN
- DISINFECT HIGH-TOUCH SURFACES
Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our campus community safe and healthy.
Published: Mon, 08 Feb 2021 13:15:28 +0000 by c.potvingiordano