Current Status

Augsburg has been able to keep its 14-day on-campus case rate below 1% for the past several weeks. At the same time, however, we are seeing a noticeable increase in reports of positive COVID-19 tests among students who live off campus and have only online classes.

With the number of COVID-19 cases climbing in the region and across the nation, public health officials are underscoring the importance of planning for safe activities during the upcoming holidays. (See the October 24 COVID-19 Dashboard for additional Augsburg and local-area metrics.)

Recommended Action

The Minnesota Department of Health has published safe holiday guidelines for Halloween, Día de los Muertos, and Thanksgiving.

Below are the top six Halloween recommendations for college and university students:

• Incorporate a mask into your costume!
• Dress up warm and stay outside.
• Avoid gatherings of 5 or more.
• Get dressed up but stick with a small group or show off your costume over a Zoom party.
• Don’t go to bars or parties where there are large crowds. If you go to a bar, go to one that follows social distancing.
• Be smart and safe now so that you don’t take COVID-19 to your families at Thanksgiving.

 

Current Status

Augsburg’s 14-day on-campus student case rate has stabilized over the past two weeks after climbing into the moderate transmission range in late September. There are still a number of individuals in quarantine and waiting for test results, so the on-campus case rate for last week may still increase from what was reported on the October 17 COVID-19 Dashboard.

The transmission level in Hennepin and Ramsey counties is as high as it has been all fall, so ongoing vigilance to reduce the risk of transferring the virus remains important.

Recommended Action

Wearing masks and maintaining physical distance still remain the best ways to prevent catching — or spreading — COVID-19.

It is also really helpful if everyone is mindful of each person they are in close contact with (within 6 feet for more than 15 minutes). If you test positive, those are the people the Response Team will need to contact in order to support them as they monitor for symptoms, get a COVID-19 test, and remain quarantined so that they don’t spread the virus further. This includes anyone you sit near or hang out with, especially without masks, for more than a brief time period.

We have observed a number of cases this fall where individuals have become symptomatic and tested positive during their last day or two of quarantine. As a result, it is important that everyone exposed to someone with the virus quarantine for a full 14 days after exposure, as required by the Minnesota Department of Health.

Most of the spread of COVID-19 — at Augsburg and across the state — happens when people have the virus but don’t yet have symptoms. So, keep in mind whenever you choose to be in close contact with others that, if anyone in the group subsequently gets symptoms and and tests positive, the result will be a 14-day quarantine for everyone else in proximity. Wearing masks and maintaining physical distance can obviate the need for the 14-day quarantine.

Current Status

Although the rate of on-campus cases reported in the October 10 COVID-19 Dashboard shows a low transmission rate, we continue to see new confirmed COVID-19 cases resulting from close contact (no masks or distancing) with those who tested positive over the past several weeks. A number of positive cases were confirmed Monday, October 12, for the prior week, and there are several other individuals still waiting for their COVID-19 test results. So, Augsburg’s on-campus student case rate for last week will increase from what is currently reported on the Dashboard after those pending tests are finalized. 

In addition to ongoing isolation, contact tracing, and quarantine efforts, Augsburg took several other actions last week in response to the growing rate of on-campus transmission. In consultation with the Minnesota Department of Health, Augsburg paused activity in Athletics practices, reduced the size of indoor and outdoor events, and introduced additional measures such as seating assignments at events and activities to facilitate contact tracing in the event that it may be required.  

Recommended Action

Augsburg continues to meet with MDH to review the impact of our actions on the number of newly confirmed cases and monitor the on-campus transmission level. Please note that case rates in both Hennepin and Ramsey counties continue to increase as well. So, it remains important to be mindful of physical distancing and wearing face coverings in order to protect yourself and others, and to help minimize the spread of the virus on campus.

Current Status

As of the end of last week, Augsburg had recorded 18 confirmed cases of COVID-19 among our on-campus student population for the 14-day period ending Saturday, October 3. This equates to 1.14% of the on-campus student population and moves Augsburg to the moderate transmission level.

One additional employee, who had already been in quarantine, also received a positive COVID-19 test for the previous week.

The majority of these cases—students and employees—will have completed their required isolation period by the end of the day Monday, October 5. The Response Team, in partnership with Athletics, Human Resources, and Residence Life staff, works to remain in regular communication with all students and employees in isolation in order to provide support and monitor their recovery.

Also, as noted last week, the Response Team works to make sure that everyone who had close contact (as defined by the Minnesota Department of Health) with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 remains in quarantine for 14 days. This is reflected in the second metric of the COVID-19 Dashboard, which shows that we continue to be able to identify the close contacts for each positive case even as the number of cases has grown.

As a result of this contact tracing work, there currently are a number of individuals in quarantine, and many of them are waiting for the results of their COVID-19 tests. It is possible that Augsburg’s on-campus student case rate may increase from what is currently reported if a number of those tests are positive.

Recommended Action

It’s important to underscore that we still have not seen transmission of the virus in scenarios where people were wearing masks and remained physically distant. The No. 1 action you can take to prevent ongoing spread of COVID-19 is to follow those two public health protocols.

In addition to reinforcing the importance of the required public health behaviors, Augsburg reaffirmed a number of actions last week designed to reduce close contacts. We need to sustain these efforts until we see the number of on-campus cases decline. It can take a couple of weeks to achieve a decline in the case rate if public health behaviors are followed (and longer if required behaviors are not followed), but the good news is that MDH has reported that such actions have been successful at other colleges and universities that have experienced a spike in cases this fall.

Finally, Augsburg has reported all isolation and quarantine cases to the Minnesota Department of Health, and we have a meeting today with MDH Epidemiologist Cynthia Kenyon, the lead contact for higher education for the coronavirus pandemic, to review Augsburg’s response to the current case rate and determine whether further action is recommended. If additional actions are required, we will communicate those via email or A-mail this week.

Current Status

Over the past two weeks, 11 on-campus students tested positive for COVID-19 and are now in isolation. Nine of these cases are connected, resulting from transmission during situations where individuals were not wearing masks and adhering to physical distancing protocols.

In addition, one employee reported a positive COVID-19 test result last week.

The Augsburg Response Team talks with each person who tests positive to identify any other individuals on campus with whom they had contact (as defined by the Minnesota Department of Health) to ensure those individuals quarantine as directed by MDH. Faculty who have in-person classes with students who test positive are also contacted, and we are pleased to find that masks and physical distancing have been consistently followed in the classrooms. For resident students, all roommates are contacted and those who had exposure to someone with the virus are quarantined.

All isolation and quarantine cases are reported, as required, to the Minnesota Department of Health.

What Happens Now?

With 11 cases over 14 days, Augsburg remains in the low transmission level as defined by the Minnesota Department of Health. However, given the number of students in quarantine, it is possible we will move into the moderate (1%-3%) transmission range once all the test results are received.

In large part, Augsburg has already been operating under the MDH guidelines for moderate-level transmission, and we will move forward adhering to the following practices:

• Public health protocols are required in public spaces across campus, including in classroom settings, study areas, work groups, events, and dining areas.
• Faculty are encouraged to have students show their daily CampusClear symptom screening app results as a check-in at the beginning of each class to ensure that everyone in attendance is symptom free,  and to use assigned seating to facilitate contact tracing, should it be needed in the future.
• Faculty should be prepared to accommodate students who cannot be in class due to quarantine or isolation.
• Event size will remain limited to comply with MDH protocols for indoor and outdoor gatherings.
• Buildings are not open to the public. Fob access is limited to students, staff, and faculty.
• Departments should continue with remote work plans, where applicable, to reduce density on campus. This would also be an appropriate time for departments to consider modifications that would be implemented in the event that Augsburg moves to the “moderate” transmission level.
• Residence Life implemented a no guest policy earlier this year and, this past Friday, extended it for two weeks.
• Athletics will continue to convene in small pods, following mask and distancing requirements, and limiting teams to coach-supervised activities only.

It is important that we all remain vigilant over the next two weeks—reducing activity, maintaining distance, and consistently wearing masks—to minimize further spread of the virus. Thank you!