Your consistent efforts to adhere to risk mitigation protocols and participate in testing are paying off, keeping COVID-19 case numbers low at CC.
As a part of the larger Colorado Springs community, we want to keep up the good work and avoid contributing to the exponential rise in COVID-19 caseloads in the county and state that are beginning to overwhelm our healthcare system.
Today, we are moving to CC Alert Level 2 status to add another layer of precaution for our campus community. The Scientific Advisory Group, in consultation with our external medical experts, recommended to college leadership that the college move to this status.
This means:
- The college will increase its weekly testing to include up to 50% of the campus population.
- Class instruction may continue in in-person, hybrid, flex, and remote formats.
- All social interaction should be limited to academically necessary groups — lab partners, study groups. In addition to these, supervised sports practices are OK.
- Facilities, including Tutt Library, Adam F. Press Fitness Center, and Worner Campus Center will remain operating below 50% capacity.
Considering the continued surge in cases in El Paso County and nationwide, today’s CC Alert Level 2 status includes this guidance regarding travel and gatherings:
- Do not travel. Students, faculty, and staff should cancel any travel plans.
- On-campus students should stay on campus.
- Local off-campus students should stay in their residence and minimize trips to the grocery store and other errands.
- Do not gather or interact with anyone except your immediate household — this means those people currently living together — including during Fall Break. Use this Event Risk Assessment Tool to evaluate your plans.
- Employees should work from home unless their job requires them to be onsite.
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Regardless of the current Alert Level, everyday risk-mitigation protocols should always be practiced: social distancing, mask wearing, and hand washing.
We are monitoring and scrutinizing our CC Alert Levels status weekly — or more often if conditions require it — which allows us to be proactive. As we continue our rigorous testing and health protocols, which have been successful so far, we hope to bring more students to campus starting with J Block. If caseloads in the county and state are very high, however, CC will wait until Block 5 to bring students to campus. A decision on this will be communicated as early as possible.
Please note: Due to high demand for COVID-19 testing in El Paso County, CC has made adjustments in order to conduct campus random sample testing this week. The Student Health Center will be focused on testing ONLY on Thursday, Nov. 19 and Saturday, Nov. 21. Student Health Center staff are rescheduling existing appointments.
Students can still be seen via telehealth appointments through the extended Optum network; more information about scheduling a telehealth appointment can be found on the Student Health Center website.
Additionally, students may visit an off-campus urgent care for healthcare needs that cannot be managed through a telehealth appointment. The nearest urgent care can be reached by calling (719) 636-2999, and will be open on Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Campus Safety can help students with transportation to urgent care.
The current CC Alert Level will be posted on the CC webpages, on the CC app, and on digital signs, and shared via the college’s social media channels. You will receive notification via email and via the CC app whenever the college makes a change to the current alert level. All Coronavirus updates and resources are available online; if you have questions, email covid19@coloradoollege.edu
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