Skip to main content

Summer and Fall Course Registration open now. Register today to get the courses you need!
Metropolitan State University (Home)

April 1, 2021: MetroSafe Update

Posted Wednesday, April 7, 2021 | Announcements to Employees

Rising positivity rates make case for continued caution

The Minnesota Department of Health weekly COVID report shows a COVID-19 positivity rate for Hennepin and Ramsey County at 6.4% as of March 31. Seventy-two higher education institutions have reported 1-10 cases of COVID-19 for the period March 14–March 27 and 14 institutions have reported 11-30 cases. The positivity rate for higher education institutions is increasing and at levels seen in mid-January. Intensive care units have active cases at the highest levels since January with 2,000 cases.

We want our campus community to continue to focus on safe practices both on campus and when in other surroundings. It’s important to continue to wearing face coverings when out in public and practice good hand hygiene. The weekly report from MDH has more information.

COVID-19 campus exposure update

For the week of March 24–March 30, Metropolitan State has reported 6 COVID-19 cases to the Minnesota State dashboard among individuals associated with our campus. Of these individuals, none were thought to be infectious while on campus. The data reported is shown below:

Students—Week of 3/24/2021 - 3/30/2021 / Total from 08/24/2020 - 3/30/2021

Case Number/ Total Reports—7 / 341

Negative—0 / 84

Unknown/ Unconfirmed—2 / 2

Positive (Reported to System Dashboard)—5 / 245

Contagious while on campus—0 / 20

Not Contagious or Not on Campus—5 / 225

Recovered (Isolation has ended)—0 / 243

Employees—Week of 3/24/2021 - 3/30/2021 / Total from 08/24/2020 - 3/30/2021

Case Number/ Total Reports—1 / 20

Negative—0 / 0

Unknown/ Unconfirmed—0 / 1

Positive (Reported to System Dashboard)—1 / 16

Contagious while on campus—0 / 2

Not Contagious or Not on Campus—1 / 17

Recovered (Isolation has ended)—0 / 16

Data may not be comprehensive or in real-time​ due to testing and reporting delays and are subject to change. Individuals, particularly those that have been at one of our locations, are also encouraged to report any COVID-19 health updates through our reporting form. As part of the Minnesota State system and in conjunction with the Minnesota Department of Health, Metropolitan State posts a link to the Minnesota State COVID-19 dashboard on the website.

Vaccination update

Nearly 1.7 million Minnesotans have received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine. The seven-day vaccination trend tops 52,000 shots daily.
Every resident over age 16 is now eligible for a vaccine. Resources for the state Vaccine Connector are below. Sign up to be notified of when, where and how to get your COVID-19 vaccine.

Return to Campus plan

We continue to work on planning for the safe return to campus of students, faculty, staff, and visitors. Please see the Return to Campus plan to review Metropolitan State University’s guiding principles and key dates for returning to campus.

COVID-19 vaccination information sessions

Join Coordinator of Health and Wellness Rachael Mills (she/her) and Director of Counseling, Health and Wellness Michael Peterson (he/him) to discuss the COVID-19 vaccine implementation process in Minnesota. We invite you to drop-in and bring any questions you may have on topics including, but not limited to:

  • Differences between available vaccines
  • Effectiveness of vaccines
  • Health and safety concerns about vaccines
  • Vaccine eligibility requirements
  • How to schedule an appointment

These sessions will be informal and open to any member of the Metro State community who has questions about COVID-19 vaccination in Minnesota. Advanced registration is required. For questions about these events, or other COVID-19 questions, contact Rachael Mills at rachael.mills@metrostate.edu.
The dates for the upcoming sessions are:

Tuesday, April 6, 3–4 p.m. Registration: COVID-19 Vaccine Q&A

Thursday, April 15, noon–1 p.m. Registration: COVID-19 Vaccine Q&A

Mechanical Review of Campus Systems

Please join us on April 8 at 10 a.m. for a virtual discussion and update on the mechanical review and assessment work that was done on campus mechanical systems. Beth Tomlinson, a mechanical engineer from TKDA, will provide information on the work and answer questions on the study. Join the discussion at https://minnstate.zoom.us/j/91844488271.