January 21, 2022

Dear students, faculty, and staff,

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

• MASKS AVAILABLE ON CAMPUS: The college has ordered bulk quantities of surgical, N95, and KN95 masks to be made available to students, staff and faculty upon request. Faculty may ask that these masks be worn in classes, and meeting organizers may request they be used in other in-person gatherings as well. Due to supply chain delays, we estimate the bulk of these masks will arrive by mid-February although we do have some supply on hand currently. We will update the campus on the distribution plan in the coming weeks. If you would like to discuss mask availability prior to this time, please contact Risk Management at risk@reed.edu.
• REPORTING COVID-19 CASES: All community members are reminded to report any positive COVID-19 results (including home tests) to Human Resources (faculty/staff) or the HCC (students). Staff on these teams can provide individuals with guidance and support to help navigate these challenging situations while preventing additional exposure to the Reed community.
• ACCESS TO HOME TESTS: Following an early January announcement by the Biden administration, the federal government has now launched COVIDtests.gov, a website for individuals to request COVID-19 home test kits free of charge. Each household may order a maximum of 4 test kits using this site. More information can be found in the program's FAQ.
• SURVEILLANCE TESTING NEXT WEEK: Next week, COVID-19 surveillance testing will be available on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, January 24, 26, and 28 from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM in Greenwood. All community members should attend testing as they return to in-person activities on campus. Those who are not fully vaccinated are required to test on campus once weekly.

Up to date instructions for how to complete the testing process are published online and posted at the testing center. Results are usually back within 24-48 hours. Individuals can view and print their test results by logging into the ShareMy.Health portal.

• NEW COVID-19 CASES: Since our last report, we have been notified of 28 new COVID-19 cases in Reed community members who were on campus in the previous 14 days. The positive individuals were contacted promptly and given instructions to isolate. Any Reed community members identified as potentially exposed were notified and provided with guidance on testing and quarantine, as appropriate for their individual situations.

If you have questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to the COVID-19 Risk Assessment Group at coronavirusquestions@reed.edu.

In health,

Madison Riethman, MPH, CPH
COVID-19 Response Coordinator & Health Project Manager
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.