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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Sept 25, 2020 8:46:44 GMT -5
HC tested 1667 students and staff Mon-Thurs. Test results reported Tues-Fri, this reflects the 24 hour turnaround being achieved by the Broad Institute. (There are probably a small number of tests done today, with results reported tomorrow. HC does not generally test om Saturday / Sunday.)
No student positive tests, one staff positive this week to date.
Positive test rate last seven days is 0.05 percent.
With only about 225 students residing on campus, the numbers indicate most off-campus students are being tested. Students are tested twice a week, staff who may encounter students on-campus are tested once a week.
Student cases total 13, nine were from the first week of back on-campus. The 21 cases emanating from the off-campus party were tested by the city, not Broad, so are not included in the total. Staff cases total three.
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Post by hc6774 on Sept 25, 2020 9:08:23 GMT -5
HC tested 1667 students and staff Mon-Thurs. Test results reported Tues-Fri, this reflects the 24 hour turnaround being achieved by the Broad Institute. (There are probably a small number of tests done today, with results reported tomorrow. HC does not generally test om Saturday / Sunday.) No student positive tests, one staff positive this week to date. Positive test rate last seven days is 0.05 percent. With only about 225 students residing on campus, the numbers indicate most off-campus students are being tested. Students are tested twice a week, staff who may encounter students on-campus are tested once a week. Student cases total 13, nine were from the first week of back on-campus. The 21 cases emanating from the off-campus party were tested by the city, not Broad, so are not included in the total. Staff cases total three. from a staff member who has set up his garage as an office... permission required to go to campus office and be tested if granted. The few times he has gone to his campus office if others are there there is no interaction, staying behind closed doors. '...testing is a pain so I don't go to the campus unless absolutely necessary'
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Sept 25, 2020 18:16:03 GMT -5
HC tested 1667 students and staff Mon-Thurs. Test results reported Tues-Fri, this reflects the 24 hour turnaround being achieved by the Broad Institute. (There are probably a small number of tests done today, with results reported tomorrow. HC does not generally test om Saturday / Sunday.) No student positive tests, one staff positive this week to date. Positive test rate last seven days is 0.05 percent. With only about 225 students residing on campus, the numbers indicate most off-campus students are being tested. Students are tested twice a week, staff who may encounter students on-campus are tested once a week. Student cases total 13, nine were from the first week of back on-campus. The 21 cases emanating from the off-campus party were tested by the city, not Broad, so are not included in the total. Staff cases total three. from a staff member who has set up his garage as an office... permission required to go to campus office and be tested if granted. The few times he has gone to his campus office if others are there there is no interaction, staying behind closed doors. '...testing is a pain so I don't go to the campus unless absolutely necessary' The following is my surmisal of the Broad testing protocol, Broad provides a tube with a swab, the tube is barcoded by Broad, and there is an identical barcode strip that is used to identify the person who was tested with that swab. The strip is retained by the institution. The nose is swabbed, -- it is much less invasive than other tests relying on nasal swabs. (Supposedly, once taught, students could self-administer the test, though I don't think HC is doing this yet, and may not to ensure integrity of the test.) The tubes with that day's swabs are driven to Broad's test facility in Cambridge MA. The barcodes on the individual tubes are scanned, and the swabs run through the automated testing line. After a batch of tubes is tested for positivity, Broad sends a report back to the institution that 362 tests were done for the following barcodes, all were negative. If a swab tests positive, then Broad would report to the institution that barcode 123456abcdef tested positive. The institution would match that number to the barcode record, inform the individual, and move to isolate him/her. The process repeats for the next day's swabs. _______________________________________ The NY Times has a daily newsletter on COVID and education; I believe you can sign up for free. This is from today's newsletter. nl.nytimes.com/f/newsletter/A47Up1sa1pEsasZU8gxrmA~~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhUKBuP0TvaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8wOS8yNC9oZWFsdGgvY29yb25hdmlydXMteW91bmctYWR1bHRzLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MTc0JmVtYz1lZGl0X2NzYl8yMDIwMDkyNSZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0yMjUzNCZubD1jb3JvbmF2aXJ1cy1zY2hvb2xzLWJyaWVmaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9MTAwNTk0NzImc2VnbWVudF9pZD0zOTA2MCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9ZGE1ODBhNGNkMWU4MmVhMDEyODIxNDE4NDk3NmEyYWNXA255dEIKADBuG25fL3-zKlIZc3RlbGxhcmZ1bjJtYXJzQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~nl.nytimes.com/f/a/cex9HBsO3jswsF2IjGowOQ~~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhUKBuP0TlaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWVkcnhpdi5vcmcvY29udGVudC8xMC4xMTAxLzIwMjAuMDkuMjIuMjAxOTYwNDh2MT9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0xNzQmZW1jPWVkaXRfY3NiXzIwMjAwOTI1Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTIyNTM0Jm5sPWNvcm9uYXZpcnVzLXNjaG9vbHMtYnJpZWZpbmcmcmVnaV9pZD0xMDA1OTQ3MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTM5MDYwJnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1kYTU4MGE0Y2QxZTgyZWEwMTI4MjE0MTg0OTc2YTJhY1cDbnl0QgoAMG4bbl8vf7MqUhlzdGVsbGFyZnVuMm1hcnNAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAAnl.nytimes.com/f/a/_MHGUqwTRghFl5YsPMTucw~~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhUKBuP4QuAWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndwci5vcmcvZ292LXRvbnktZXZlcnMtZXh0ZW5kcy1zdGF0ZXdpZGUtbWFzay1tYW5kYXRlP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTE3NCZlbWM9ZWRpdF9jc2JfMjAyMDA5MjUmZmJjbGlkPUl3QVIzTEh4SlJGTTZyRXNUODZvT3lrLW5TMDZFMXF5RTZscHFEUFJfV2RIYk1lcUxydVJyQWE0NWhrd0kmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MjI1MzQmbmw9Y29yb25hdmlydXMtc2Nob29scy1icmllZmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTEwMDU5NDcyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MzkwNjAmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWRhNTgwYTRjZDFlODJlYTAxMjgyMTQxODQ5NzZhMmFjVwNueXRCCgAwbhtuXy9_sypSGXN0ZWxsYXJmdW4ybWFyc0BnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~Today's newsletter also included news that the local health department closed a fraternity house at Indiana University for a year. www.hoosiertimes.com/herald_times_online/news/covid19/alpha-epsilon-pi-fraternity-house-at-iu-closed-over-covid-19-health-violations/article_6c3274dc-fde4-11ea-a138-27d8f0f9a0c3.html?campaign_id=174&emc=edit_csb_20200925&instance_id=22534&nl=coronavirus-schools-briefing®i_id=10059472&segment_id=39060&te=1&user_id=da580a4cd1e82ea0128214184976a2ac
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Sept 27, 2020 7:40:26 GMT -5
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Sept 28, 2020 17:51:50 GMT -5
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Post by longsuffering on Sept 28, 2020 17:58:00 GMT -5
from a staff member who has set up his garage as an office... permission required to go to campus office and be tested if granted. The few times he has gone to his campus office if others are there there is no interaction, staying behind closed doors. '...testing is a pain so I don't go to the campus unless absolutely necessary' The following is my surmisal of the Broad testing protocol, Broad provides a tube with a swab, the tube is barcoded by Broad, and there is an identical barcode strip that is used to identify the person who was tested with that swab. The strip is retained by the institution. The nose is swabbed, -- it is much less invasive than other tests relying on nasal swabs. (Supposedly, once taught, students could self-administer the test, though I don't think HC is doing this yet, and may not to ensure integrity of the test.) The tubes with that day's swabs are driven to Broad's test facility in Cambridge MA. The barcodes on the individual tubes are scanned, and the swabs run through the automated testing line. After a batch of tubes is tested for positivity, Broad sends a report back to the institution that 362 tests were done for the following barcodes, all were negative. If a swab tests positive, then Broad would report to the institution that barcode 123456abcdef tested positive. The institution would match that number to the barcode record, inform the individual, and move to isolate him/her. The process repeats for the next day's swabs. _______________________________________ The NY Times has a daily newsletter on COVID and education; I believe you can sign up for free. This is from today's newsletter. nl.nytimes.com/f/newsletter/A47Up1sa1pEsasZU8gxrmA~~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhUKBuP0TvaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8wOS8yNC9oZWFsdGgvY29yb25hdmlydXMteW91bmctYWR1bHRzLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MTc0JmVtYz1lZGl0X2NzYl8yMDIwMDkyNSZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0yMjUzNCZubD1jb3JvbmF2aXJ1cy1zY2hvb2xzLWJyaWVmaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9MTAwNTk0NzImc2VnbWVudF9pZD0zOTA2MCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9ZGE1ODBhNGNkMWU4MmVhMDEyODIxNDE4NDk3NmEyYWNXA255dEIKADBuG25fL3-zKlIZc3RlbGxhcmZ1bjJtYXJzQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~nl.nytimes.com/f/a/cex9HBsO3jswsF2IjGowOQ~~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhUKBuP0TlaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWVkcnhpdi5vcmcvY29udGVudC8xMC4xMTAxLzIwMjAuMDkuMjIuMjAxOTYwNDh2MT9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0xNzQmZW1jPWVkaXRfY3NiXzIwMjAwOTI1Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTIyNTM0Jm5sPWNvcm9uYXZpcnVzLXNjaG9vbHMtYnJpZWZpbmcmcmVnaV9pZD0xMDA1OTQ3MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTM5MDYwJnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1kYTU4MGE0Y2QxZTgyZWEwMTI4MjE0MTg0OTc2YTJhY1cDbnl0QgoAMG4bbl8vf7MqUhlzdGVsbGFyZnVuMm1hcnNAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAAnl.nytimes.com/f/a/_MHGUqwTRghFl5YsPMTucw~~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhUKBuP4QuAWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndwci5vcmcvZ292LXRvbnktZXZlcnMtZXh0ZW5kcy1zdGF0ZXdpZGUtbWFzay1tYW5kYXRlP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTE3NCZlbWM9ZWRpdF9jc2JfMjAyMDA5MjUmZmJjbGlkPUl3QVIzTEh4SlJGTTZyRXNUODZvT3lrLW5TMDZFMXF5RTZscHFEUFJfV2RIYk1lcUxydVJyQWE0NWhrd0kmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MjI1MzQmbmw9Y29yb25hdmlydXMtc2Nob29scy1icmllZmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTEwMDU5NDcyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MzkwNjAmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWRhNTgwYTRjZDFlODJlYTAxMjgyMTQxODQ5NzZhMmFjVwNueXRCCgAwbhtuXy9_sypSGXN0ZWxsYXJmdW4ybWFyc0BnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~Today's newsletter also included news that the local health department closed a fraternity house at Indiana University for a year. www.hoosiertimes.com/herald_times_online/news/covid19/alpha-epsilon-pi-fraternity-house-at-iu-closed-over-covid-19-health-violations/article_6c3274dc-fde4-11ea-a138-27d8f0f9a0c3.html?campaign_id=174&emc=edit_csb_20200925&instance_id=22534&nl=coronavirus-schools-briefing®i_id=10059472&segment_id=39060&te=1&user_id=da580a4cd1e82ea0128214184976a2ac1970: "Don't trust anyone over 30" 2020: "Don't trust anyone under 30"
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Post by longsuffering on Sept 28, 2020 18:08:58 GMT -5
I drove through Storrs, CT over the weekend. Unlike most of the rest of rural northeastern CT, everyone walking outdoors in the commercial village - which is not officially part of the campus, (Geno Auriemma's restaurant is shuttered, btw) wears a mask. The other area I have seen this is on the sidewalks near the Pomfret School in Pomfret, CT. (Residential Prep School) Even if a student or staff person is walking alone on the sidewalk with no one else around, he or she is wearing a mask.
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Post by sader1970 on Sept 28, 2020 18:23:23 GMT -5
Dog Lane cafe is open, at least for take-out.
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Oct 1, 2020 6:22:08 GMT -5
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Post by bison137 on Oct 1, 2020 7:51:52 GMT -5
Bucknell has not had a case for the last 18 days, with 18 positive cases for the semester out of about 26,000 tests. They continue to test every student every 10 days. And Colgate currently has only two active cases, although they have tested very sparingly since the start of September. Both schools also test waste water.
Even with such favorable results, it is still a challenge to keep things safe, with constant contact in classrooms, common spaces, and the occasional party.
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Post by hcpride on Oct 1, 2020 10:27:00 GMT -5
Kudos to Cornell's leadership team (they do seem to want to see good news covered). While there is no data/science out there I am aware of that suggests college age kids on campus are more likely to develop serious health issues via covid than those (enrolled or not) off campus, Cornell took it a step further by eyeballing and mitigating infection rates. Perhaps they'll ditch the Ivy League and come play football with us (replacing Georgetown) in the Spring.
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Oct 1, 2020 11:44:28 GMT -5
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Post by alum on Oct 1, 2020 12:01:57 GMT -5
Kudos to Cornell's leadership team (they do seem to want to see good news covered). While there is no data/science out there I am aware of that suggests college age kids on campus are more likely to develop serious health issues via covid than those (enrolled or not) off campus, Cornell took it a step further by eyeballing and mitigating infection rates. Perhaps they'll ditch the Ivy League and come play football with us (replacing Georgetown) in the Spring. Kudos, indeed. Those folks at Cornell are really smart. I saw a study out of there this morning about the sources of Covid 19 disinformation which was quite enlightening.
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Post by Chu Chu on Oct 1, 2020 14:13:31 GMT -5
It is no accident that Dr Anthony Fauci is an alum of both Holy Cross and Cornell!
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Post by bfoley82 on Oct 2, 2020 3:17:35 GMT -5
It is no accident that Dr Anthony Fauci is an alum of both Holy Cross and Cornell! Fauci couldn’t get through to Trump though with the positive test on Thursday
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Post by alum on Oct 2, 2020 7:21:12 GMT -5
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Oct 2, 2020 8:37:58 GMT -5
HC reports four new student positives today. These would be students who were tested yesterday. Brings total to 17 positives from Broad's testing.
Looking at the daily test count, my guess is that these students tested negative on Monday. Likely these are students living off-campus.
HC this week appears to have settled into a pattern of doing about 415 tests a day, Monday-Thursday. This would be consistent with 825-850 students living on-campus, or living off-campus with permission to come on-campus.
My guess is faculty and staff would be tested on Fridays. The number of Friday's tests will be reported tomorrow, and could lend credence to that guess. And then again, HC may be testing contacts of the four who tested positive again today.
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Oct 12, 2020 7:08:39 GMT -5
Last two weeks of testing at HC.
Number of tests 9/28-10/2: 1697, four students tested on Oct 1 were positive Number of tests 10/5-10/9: 1773, one student tested on Oct 5 tested positive
Testing is done on Mon-Fri, with results the following day. Nearly all the tests are Mon-Thurs.
Students living on-campus or with access to campus are tested 2x every eight days or so. I do not know the serial sequence. But the pattern is 400-425 daily tests on Monday-Thursday, and under 50 on Friday. No testing on Saturday or Sunday.
The increase in the number of tests in the weeks of 10/2 and 10/9 may reflect more students being in Worcester with access to campus, and/or more faculty/staff being on-campus, including coaches and trainers. Faculty/staff on-campus who might interact with students are tested once a week.
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Post by newfieguy74 on Oct 12, 2020 7:31:13 GMT -5
So as we approach mid-October would it be too simplistic to say that these results bode well for HC to fully re-open the campus to students in January, that they've figured it out?
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Post by rf1 on Oct 12, 2020 9:02:41 GMT -5
So as we approach mid-October would it be too simplistic to say that these results bode well for HC to fully re-open the campus to students in January, that they've figured it out?
If they did, there should be no spring break. They could use that break time to start a bit later than normal and still end at about the same time. Holy Cross, with nearly all its students living on campus would be better positioned than many other schools as it would have a more secure bubble.
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Post by hcpride on Oct 12, 2020 9:06:31 GMT -5
So as we approach mid-October would it be too simplistic to say that these results bode well for HC to fully re-open the campus to students in January, that they've figured it out? /\ I was thinking that HC could copy the successful reopening strategies of many other schools and easily reopen the campus for the spring. They could go the successful test, test, test route of places like Yale or they could go the less test-intensive but equally successful routes of Colgate, BC, ND, PC, etc. Or if HC’s leadership wants to stay nearby they can visit our Worcester peers (Clark, Assumption, WPI) to find out their successful campus reopening secrets. I can’t imagine HC will again drop the ball on a planned reopening - doubtlessly the responsible administrators have been told this on no uncertain terms. (I realize there may be folks here and there that think positive tests = unsuccessful school opening or campus openings without vaccine = failure.)
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Post by crossbball13 on Oct 12, 2020 9:58:21 GMT -5
So as we approach mid-October would it be too simplistic to say that these results bode well for HC to fully re-open the campus to students in January, that they've figured it out? /\ I was thinking that HC could copy the successful reopening strategies of many other schools and easily reopen the campus for the spring. They could go the successful test, test, test route of places like Yale or they could go the less test-intensive but equally successful routes of Colgate, BC, ND, PC, etc. Or if HC’s leadership wants to stay nearby they can visit our Worcester peers (Clark, Assumption, WPI) to find out their successful campus reopening secrets. I can’t imagine HC will again drop the ball on a planned reopening - doubtlessly the responsible administrators have been told this on no uncertain terms. (I realize there may be folks here and there that think positive tests = unsuccessful school opening or campus openings without vaccine = failure.) I’d say if a public entity has to take over your testing protocol (BC) or if you are required to shut down campus at least once (Notre Dame, UConn, Providence, etc) then the reopening shouldn’t necessarily be considered a “success”.
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Oct 12, 2020 10:50:14 GMT -5
So as we approach mid-October would it be too simplistic to say that these results bode well for HC to fully re-open the campus to students in January, that they've figured it out? It bodes well that HC has worked out the logistics of being able to test a relatively large number of individuals and get the test results back within 24 hours of the test being given. Both HC and Broad have to scale what is presently being done by 3x. And the low positive rate suggests that HC students are doing their part, particularly the 600 or so who are living off-campus. As I understand it, only a state order applying to all colleges, or a Worcester Board of Health order applied to HC (and other colleges/universities in Worcester) will keep from HC from opening on-campus in the first week of January for the three week January term, with the spring semester beginning on February 1. Spring break is off the calendar; There is an Easter break, probably Thursday-Sunday. By about the first of April, hopefully most of those with co-morbidities or essential workers will be vaccinated, and as Fauci has said, restrictions can be eased.
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Post by hcpride on Oct 12, 2020 11:21:07 GMT -5
So as we approach mid-October would it be too simplistic to say that these results bode well for HC to fully re-open the campus to students in January, that they've figured it out? It bodes well that HC has worked out the logistics of being able to test a relatively large number of individuals and get the test results back within 24 hours of the test being given. Both HC and Broad have to scale what is presently being done by 3x. And the low positive rate suggests that HC students are doing their part, particularly the 600 or so who are living off-campus. As I understand it, only a state order applying to all colleges, or a Worcester Board of Health order applied to HC (and other colleges/universities in Worcester) will keep from HC from opening on-campus in the first week of January for the three week January term, with the spring semester beginning on February 1. Spring break is off the calendar; There is an Easter break, probably Thursday-Sunday. By about the first of April, hopefully most of those with co-morbidities or essential workers will be vaccinated, and as Fauci has said, restrictions can be eased. With so many other campuses having already successfully opened, I have complete confidence HC will be successful in its belated opening. If our administrators can't figure it out on their own I am sure our successful Catholic college peers, successful Patriot college peers, successful Massachusetts college peers, and successful Worcester college peers will share their best practices on reopening campuses. Doubtlessly HC will err on the safe side in its planning and assume no 100% effective and administered vaccine appears on the scene. (But if events go in that direction we can certainly adjust.)
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Post by bfoley82 on Oct 12, 2020 11:40:14 GMT -5
/\ I was thinking that HC could copy the successful reopening strategies of many other schools and easily reopen the campus for the spring. They could go the successful test, test, test route of places like Yale or they could go the less test-intensive but equally successful routes of Colgate, BC, ND, PC, etc. Or if HC’s leadership wants to stay nearby they can visit our Worcester peers (Clark, Assumption, WPI) to find out their successful campus reopening secrets. I can’t imagine HC will again drop the ball on a planned reopening - doubtlessly the responsible administrators have been told this on no uncertain terms. (I realize there may be folks here and there that think positive tests = unsuccessful school opening or campus openings without vaccine = failure.) I’d say if a public entity has to take over your testing protocol (BC) or if you are required to shut down campus at least once (Notre Dame, UConn, Providence, etc) then the reopening shouldn’t necessarily be considered a “success”. Since I was on BC's campus this weekend, here was the protocol that we went through. I was sent a questionnaire through email with a link that asked if I had been in contact with a Covid-19 patient, if I had a fever, running nose, etc. When I got to campus, I had my temperature checked before getting my credential and that was it.
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