After a semester under the Safe Together, Strong Together initiative (ST2), Colorado Mesa University (CMU) has moved onto the next step of their COVID-19 response plan under the ST2 umbrella, called The Future is Now.
As a part of The Future is Now, CMU once again conducted baseline testing before the Spring 2021 semester began, with over 9,000 PCR tests having been expected to be produced.
Protocols will be similar to the Fall 2020 semester, with many in-person classes, masks being required to be worn in buildings, and social distancing being maintained.
With many different Division 2 sports being held in the spring season, some of them have been designated as “high risk.” Being high risk means that teams will have to test weekly, and need results 72 hours before competition. Medium risk sports will need to test between 25-50% of their athletes regularly.
As the COVID-19 vaccine begins to be distributed across the United States, CMU has been talking to Mesa County Public Health in discussions about what vaccinating students would look like.
“I think [CMU] is still talking about what makes the most sense, you know, we’ve communicated all along, it just like we did with the testing center,” CMU Public Relations Director David Ludlam said. “[…] There’s some technical issues with how you administer the vaccine that make it a little more complicated than some others. And so we’re going to defer to the judgment of the health officials on that. But we remain able and willing to be flexible and participate.”
Colorado Governor Jared Polis recently announced that PreK-12 teachers and those over the age of 65 will be able to receive the vaccine by Feb. 8. The majority of CMU officials and students will likely not be a priority to receive the vaccine as the state continues through its vaccine distribution plan, currently at Phase 1B.2. Frontline essential workers, and those aged 16-64 with two or more high risk conditions are next in line, for Phase 1B.3.
CMU has improved their contact tracing protocols since beginning them last semester. The creation of Mavilies, groups of students that can register if they are often in contact with each other, is an aid to contact tracing.
“We’ve already been vaccinating frontline workers and health care workers,” ST2 co-chair John Marshall said. “I think as of [Jan. 25 – 29], we had something like 62 student nurses and student PAs who have been vaccinated and ready to become vaccinators. So whether that’s at the county site at Two Rivers, or at the hospital or wherever, in addition to university, we’ve got 60-something folks who are qualified, trained and have been themselves vaccinated.”
Random testing will continue this semester, and the same protocols will be followed on campus, including masks being worn in buildings on campus. With The Future is Now, the university looks forward.
