December 17, 2021

Dear students, faculty, and staff,

Below, we report to you four things you need to know today.

• NEW COVID-19 CASES: We are pleased to report that we identified no new confirmed COVID-19 cases at Reed this past week. We continue to report all associated COVID-19 cases online, found in the "Total Cases" section of the dashboard.
• REED'S COVID RESPONSE IN REVIEW: Tomorrow is the last day for community members to participate in this survey and provide us with feedback on the college's COVID response over the fall 2021 semester. To complete the survey, please follow the link provided to you in one of the related emails, which were sent by the COVID Risk Assessment Group this past week on Sunday, Wednesday, and today. Thank you in advance for taking the time to share your valuable input!
• SURVEILLANCE TESTING UPDATES: Due to inclement weather near the surveillance testing laboratory in Utah, shipping was delayed on the 65 saliva tests conducted this Tuesday. These samples were received by the lab and completed yesterday. Individuals can view and print their results by logging into their accounts at client.predictivelabs.com.
  
  As a reminder, surveillance testing will not be available for the last two weeks of December. During this time, the laboratory will be transitioning to a new testing and reporting system. Please watch for important email updates on changes to the testing process in the coming weeks. Testing is scheduled to resume on Monday, January 3.
• MONITORING OMICRON: We continue to discuss the latest COVID-19 variant and it's potential impact on our operations. Early data suggests that this variant is more transmissible than previous strains of SARS-Cov-2, but that full vaccination plus boosters with available vaccines are highly effective at preventing illness. Consistent information on illness severity is still pending. Modeling shared by the state of Oregon indicates that we may see a related surge in the coming three weeks, emphasizing the importance of taking precautions as we approach holiday gatherings and events.

Due to the upcoming holiday breaks, this will be the last weekly update for the 2021 calendar year. We will resume our regular updates, including more information about campus protocols for the spring semester, on Friday, January 7. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to the COVID-19 Risk Assessment Group at coronavirusquestions@reed.edu.

Wishing you all a safe, healthy, and restful holiday,

Madison Riethman, MPH, CPH
COVID-19 Response Coordinator
Reporting on behalf of the COVID-19 Risk Assessment Group:

Gary Granger, Director of Community Safety
Mandy Heaton, Executive Director of Communications & Public Affairs
Karnell McConnell-Black, Vice President for Student Life
Kathy Oleson, Dean of the Faculty & Professor of Psychology
Tawana Parks, Dean of Students
Hugh Porter, Vice President for College Relations & Planning
Madison Riethman, COVID-19 Response Coordinator & Health Project Manager
Suzy Renn, Professor of Biology
Timmie Rochon, Medical Services Director
April Sams, Director of Risk Management & Environmental Health and Safety
Lynn Valenter, Vice President of Finance and Treasurer

PS: Our COVID-19 dashboard includes current information on the total number of cases, vaccination rate, and other public health indicators. Additionally, all our COVID-19 communications are cataloged here.