April 16, 2020
Dear students, faculty, and staff,
I write to you with our weekly update from the COVID-19 Risk Assessment Group (CRAG). We have highlighted essential points in yellow.
New Cases at Reed
Since our last update, we have identified no new confirmed COVID-19 cases at Reed. We continue to report all associated COVID-19 cases online, found in the "Total Cases" section of the dashboard.
COVID Cases Continue to Climb
In Multnomah County, Oregon, and across the country, COVID-19 activity continues to climb, despite that approximately one-third of Oregonians have received at least one dose of vaccine. In order to protect the Reed community and beyond, it is imperative that we continue to practice good public health behaviors, including the use of face coverings, physical distancing, and limiting in person activities, even if fully vaccinated.
Changes to Daily Health Check
Effective Monday, April 19, the Weekly Risk Assessment Survey will be discontinued through the end of summer break. In lieu of this, a new question will be added to the Daily Health Check, where participants can provide any concerns or feedback to the COVID Risk Assessment Group. This question can be skipped if you have no feedback to provide, and it will not impact your "stop/go" message result.
COVID-19 Vaccine
While Reed has been approved as a vaccine provider, at this time, we do not know when the state will allocate vaccines to Reed despite our weekly requests. With the recent disruptions to distribution of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, we anticipate further delays in when Reed may receive the vaccine.
Important: Reed community members should not wait for a Reed-sponsored vaccine clinic due to the uncertainty of when Reed will receive the vaccine. Eligible community members should visit the Oregon COVID-19 Vaccination webpage and sign up with the Get Vaccinated Oregon portal, or contact their healthcare provider.
For more information about COVID-19 vaccines and eligibility, please review the Reed Vaccine FAQ.
Surveillance testing next week
Next week, surveillance testing will take place from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM in the student union on Monday, April 19 and Thursday, April 22.
Testing sign ups will not be carried over week to week; instead, a new invitation to sign up will be shared via email no later than the Friday before the week in question. Individuals are only required to sign up and complete a test during the weeks in which they will be accessing campus; if you will not be accessing campus and do not need a COVID test, simply disregard the weekly sign up email.
In order to best protect the Reed community, it is imperative that all community members participate in surveillance testing as appropriate, regardless of vaccination status. For more information about the Reed COVID-19 surveillance testing program, please visit our website here.
If you have questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to the COVID-19 Risk Assessment Group at coronavirusquestions@reed.edu.
Sincerely,
Madison Riethman, MPH, CPH
COVID-19 Response Coordinator and Health Project Manager
Health & Counseling Services
Reporting on behalf of the COVID-19 Risk Assessment Group
PS: As a reminder, you can track all our COVID-19 communications to members of the Reed Community here.