COVID-19 Update
Dear Skidmore Community,
I know our recent move to safety Alert Level 3 was concerning as well as frustrating. We’ve been doing so well this spring semester and our positive case counts seem to be relatively low. But this step was a necessary precaution in response to several concerning elements beyond just the five new positives that emerged from Wednesday’s testing. Because of the 24- to 36-hour lag time between tests and results, we need to think ahead to what might be coming based on trend lines, positivity rates in the surrounding area, possible close-contact infection and the likelihood of more contagious variants now in circulation. If the number of positive cases, and corresponding required quarantines, gets suddenly too large, we could find ourselves in a very difficult situation that could threaten the entire semester. We need to respond quickly to these possibilities, hence the shift on Friday to Level 3.
Our return to campus for the spring semester has been superb. And there is hope on the horizon as vaccines become more available, and in fact many in our own campus community are becoming vaccinated. But — and I know we all keep hearing this, but it is so true — the virus remains prevalent and indeed is more than twice as prevalent as it was in the fall. We simply cannot let down our guard right now. This means remaining at Level 3 for now to keep our community safe. I hope we will be able to return to Alert Level 2 soon, which will depend on the multiple factors I’ve described.
We will continue to provide the latest figures on the Dashboard, which is a reliable source of accurate, up-to-the-minute COVID-19 data for our community. Updates are made as results come in daily, and sometimes hourly, or more frequently if we get rapid or antigen test results from individual cases.
However, there is a 24- to 36-hour lag between the on-campus PCR testing and receiving the results from the Broad Institute, so results from tests taken on, for example, a Wednesday might not be reflected on the Dashboard until Friday.
We will continue to monitor the situation and provide clear and transparent updates as relevant information becomes available. In the meantime, the best action is for us all to continue to diligently exercise caution, get tested, wear our masks and social distance. Whenever possible, wear double masks as the CDC recently recommended, particularly indoors.
Thank you for your understanding, flexibility, and for continuing to do everything possible to keep our community safe. Believe me, I know this is a very difficult time. But we will get through this. Hang in there, all.
Sincerely,
Marc Conner
President