May 3 Weekly CIRT Campus Update
CIRT Update
Published May 3, 2021
Dear students, staff and faculty:
Below, please find important campus, regional and national updates from the COVID-19 Incident Response Team (CIRT).
Campus Status
The campus is currently operating in GREEN mode. For an explanation of the college’s color-coded operating modes, please visit Status & Operating Modes.
Over the past seven days, there has been one positive case of COVID-19 reported through the on-campus campus screening program. For more data on the screening program, please visit Coronavirus Screening.
Return to work timeline
In partnership with the Office of the Provost and the Office of Human Resources, CIRT and the COVID-19 Coordination Group are preparing a draft plan for the return-to-campus process for college employees. We expect to have a shareable draft by May 26 and a near-final plan by June 15. This plan will contain guidance on the process and timetable for the return-to-campus window in August; the remote work policy and process for requesting approval for remote work; employment-related COVID-19 health and safety protocols for the fall; employee travel guidelines; and any updates on vaccine policies as they apply to staff and faculty.
Schedule your second COVID-19 vaccine dose now at Smith College
Smith College will host its second-dose vaccine clinic on Saturday, May 15, and Sunday, May 16, 2021. This clinic is for the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine only. The clinic will take place at the Smith College Indoor Track & Tennis Facility at 106 Lower College Lane in Northampton. Hours of operation will be:
- Saturday, May 15, 2021 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Sunday, May 16, 2021 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Please schedule your appointment in advance using this link. If you have an insurance card, please bring it with you to your appointment.
Please note that you must get the second dose of vaccine to get the maximum benefit of this vaccine. You are not considered to be fully vaccinated unless you have received both doses.
If you have any questions please message testingandtracing@smith.edu.
Student and Employee Vaccines
All Massachusetts residents age 16 and up are eligible for vaccination. We urge everyone who is able to be vaccinated as soon as they are able. Vaccine supply remains limited, which may mean it will be difficult to find an appointment.
As a reminder, Smith College will require all undergraduate and graduate students to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to returning to campus for the fall 2021 semester. Students should verify that they are fully vaccinated prior to their fall 2021 arrival by uploading vaccine records to the Schacht Center’s confidential patient portal. Instructions can be found on the center’s website. As with other required vaccinations, requests for medical or religious exemptions will be reviewed and accommodated on a case-by-case basis. The college will help international students or others who cannot get a US-approved full vaccination prior to arrival navigate the process to meet this requirement. We will have additional details about the overall return to campus process, including the vaccination requirement, by mid-June.
As a reminder, vaccination status does not change any Culture of Care health and safety guidelines for students or employees. This includes mandatory screening frequency.&
State and Federal Guidance Changes
While the CDC and Commonwealth have released updated guidance that relaxes some health and safety guidelines, it is important to note that Smith College is not changing any of its guidelines at this time. For the foreseeable future, the following restrictions remain in place to protect the health and safety of our students, staff and faculty:
- Vaccination status does not change any of the Culture of Care guidelines for individuals or groups (including masking, testing, etc.)
- Social event restrictions and gathering size restrictions remain unchanged.
Please send any questions to covid19info@smith.edu.
COVID-19 Incident Response Team (CIRT)
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