Ada Lapham
Staff Writer
On Friday, Jan. 26, the Community Health Task Force sent out a campus wide email titled “Community Health Update,” the first of its kind this semester and only the second of this academic year. The email contained information about the latest spike of COVID-19 across campus.
According to the Wooster website, the campus has reached 1.4% positivity rate, updated as of Jan. 26. The Community Health Update posits that this number is actually 1.59%. Regardless, both of these numbers are around half of the campus threshold of 3%. Many are unclear as to what happens if the positivity rate does pass this threshold as this information was not included in the email and does not appear to be available elsewhere.
Some information was also included about what to do if one does test positive. “If you test positive for COVID-19, you must isolate for at least five (5) full days or until fever or symptoms have subsided for at least 24 hours per CDC guidelines.”
“At the beginning of this year, me and my roommate/girlfriend made a Covid positive plan, we color-coded it and decorated it, for before, during and after infection,” says Co Clark ’25. They recommend having a clear plan in place in the event that a student and/or their roommate do test positive.
Students can find tests at Doors A and D of the Wellness Center. They can also order tests to be sent to their mailboxes from covidtests.gov. Many have now noted the lack of tests in spaces like Lowry where they were readily available last semester.
Scot Council also sent out email correspondence on Jan. 29 urging people to wear a mask around campus. The short email also included a few sentences of information that was restated from the Community Health Update.
Members of the Community Health Taskforce, the dean of students office and the Longbrake Wellness Center were contacted about the concern surrounding the sudden rise in COVID cases but could not provide comments by time of publication.