August 12, 2021: MetroSafe Update

Emails from Chancellor Malhotra and President Arthur indicate that effective Sept. 8, Minnesota State employees working at university locations will be required to either show proof of vaccination or be tested weekly. Administrators are working on the logistics and details for how this will happen at Metro State. Details will be shared as soon as possible before the policy goes into effect. Thank you for your patience as we plan and work to meet these requirements.

We are sincerely grateful for your ongoing flexibility, resilience and commitment to keeping our Metro community safe and healthy during this pandemic.

Updated guidance on face covering
Metropolitan State University is implementing face covering protocols on campus keeping consistent with the new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control. New protocols require employees, students, and visitors, including contractors and vendors, to wear a face covering in public indoor settings inside campus buildings or university facilities at all locations, regardless of vaccination status.

Face coverings are available throughout campus for anyone who may need one. Also, please maintain at least a 6-foot distance from others at all campus locations. Vaccination remains one of the most important public health measures each of us can adopt to keep everyone safe.

On July 27, the CDC updated their interim public health recommendations for fully vaccinated people in response to increases in COVID-19 cases as a result of the Delta variant, and they continue to recommend face coverings for those not vaccinated. The change in approach for vaccinated people resulted from preliminary evidence suggesting that “fully vaccinated people who do become infected with the Delta variant can spread the virus to others.” That new guidance recommends that fully vaccinated individuals:

• Wear a mask in public indoor settings if they are in an area of substantial or high transmission. Fully vaccinated people might choose to mask regardless of the level of transmission, particularly if they or someone in their household is immunocompromised or at increased risk for severe disease, or if someone in their household is unvaccinated. People who are at increased risk for severe disease include older adults and those who have certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, overweight or obesity, and heart conditions.
• Get tested if experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. Get tested 3-5 days following a known exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 and wear a mask in public indoor settings for 14 days after exposure or until a negative test result.
• Isolate if they have tested positive for COVID-19 in the prior 10 days or are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.

Delta variant update
The Delta variant is extremely contagious – more so than any other COVID-19 variant. It also may cause more severe illness. The Delta variant is responsible for the majority of cases in Minnesota and the US at this time. Unvaccinated individuals are at a high risk of contracting Delta.

Vaccinated people are still unlikely to get infected, even with Delta, but breakthrough infections do occur. Vaccination still protects from severe illness and hospitalization. That being said, vaccinated people infected by the Delta variant can spread the virus at the same rates as unvaccinated people. This is why mask mandates are returning.

The best tool we have to protect ourselves and each other is vaccination.

If you would like to speak to someone about any questions or concerns you have regarding the Delta variant and/or COVID-19 vaccines, please contact Rachael Mills at Rachael.mills@metrostate.edu. Rachael is the Coordinator of Health and Wellness here at Metro and would be more than happy to speak with you!

Vaccinations

All Minnesotans age 12 and older are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. We encourage all Minnesota State staff, faculty and students to get vaccinated. Minnesotans can use the online vaccine locator map to find vaccine locations near them and contact those health care providers with questions.
International students are eligible for vaccination through the State of Minnesota by using their Minnesota address.

COVID-19 campus exposure update
For the week of Aug. 3–10, Metropolitan State has reported 2 COVID-19 cases to the Minnesota State dashboard among individuals associated with our campus. Two of these individuals were thought to have been on campus while contagious. The data reported is shown below, displayed in a ‘numbers for this week/ total number of reports since 8/24/2020’ format:

Students

Week of 8/4/2021 - 8/10/2021 / Total from 08/24/2020 - 8/10/2021

Case Number/ Total Reports—2 / 393

Negative—0 / 91

Unknown/ Unconfirmed—0 / 01

Positive (Reported to System Dashboard)—1 / 301

Contagious while on campus—0 / 23

Not Contagious or Not on Campus—1 / 278

Recovered (Isolation has ended)—0 / 300

Employees

Week of 8/4/2021 - 8/10/2021 / Total from 08/24/2020 - 8/10/2021

Case Number/ Total Reports—0 / 28

Negative—0 / 0

Unknown/ Unconfirmed—0 / 1

Positive (Reported to System Dashboard)—0 / 21

Contagious while on campus—0 / 3

Not Contagious or Not on Campus—0 / 24

Recovered (Isolation has ended)—0 / 25

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.