Dear Santa Clara University Community, 

Welcome to the Week 5 edition of the Prepared SCU Weekly Roundup. In this Friday digest, we share key information related to SCU’s response to COVID-19.

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COVID-19 Dashboard Update

This past week, total positive tests through Color fell by 25% from the previous week to 81. The University’s 7-day test positivity rate is 2%, compared to Santa Clara County‘s 12.8% positivity rate and California’s 13.2%. Track our progress on our COVID-19 Dashboard.

Booster Vaccine Verification Deadline

The deadline for SCU faculty, staff, and students to submit booster vaccine information is March 17, 2022. Students who fail to upload their booster vaccine information will have a hold placed on their account and they will not be able to register for classes. Enrolled students will have their classes dropped. 

Upcoming COVID-19 Vaccination Booster Clinics

SCU will host two additional booster clinics on February 14 and March 11 at the Locatelli Center from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The booster is appropriate for everyone five months after receiving the Pfizer or Moderna vaccination or two months following the Johnson & Johnson vaccination. The booster clinic is only for SCU students, faculty, and staff. 

SCU IDs will be required to enter the booster clinic. Please register for the booster clinic directly with our partner, Carbon Health, who will be running the clinic for the University. There is no cost, and no insurance is needed. If you have problems registering, contact scu-support@carbonhealth.com.

Can I Attend Class In-Person if I’ve Been Exposed to Someone Who Tested Positive?

If you have been exposed to someone who recently tested positive (a close friend, significant other, etc.), put on a good (KN95, N95, KN94) mask, take a rapid antigen test 3 days after you last had close contact and monitor for symptoms. You can continue to attend classes and other activities, but continue to wear a good mask around others at all times until you know you are negative. Review the Decision Making Flow Chart.

In-person Classes 

As announced by the Provost on January 25, in-person instruction resumed on Monday, January 31. Students are expected to attend classes in-person.

Student Medical Information

Parents requesting medical information about their students from Cowell must ask their students to sign a release of information form and send it to the Cowell Center. The staff cannot discuss any medical information about a student with a parent unless this signed form is on file.

Get the Flu Vaccine!

In order to prevent a twin pandemic, students, staff, and faculty are encouraged to get a flu shot. Flu shots take very little time and can be obtained at a local pharmacy, for free with your health insurance. 

Isolation and Quarantine

Students with questions about isolation and quarantine should email their name, ID number, and cell phone to covidsupport@scu.edu.

Testing

All undergraduate and graduate students living on campus, regardless of vaccination status, are required to continue self-testing through Color every week throughout the term, unless they have previously tested positive in the last 90 days. A negative result from a rapid antigen test does not exempt students from self-administering a weekly Color test. Compliance with weekly testing requirements will be monitored.

18,000 Masks Distributed!

Thank you for continuing to mask up, Broncos. This past month we distributed 18,000 KN95 masks, and we will continue to distribute more. Students can pick up a KN95 mask at the Health Ambassador table in front of the Learning Commons, Monday-Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. or at their residence halls, Lucas Hall, Charney Hall, Malley, Guadalupe Hall, or at Campus Safety. All community members are required to wear masks indoors. N95 or KN95 masks are recommended instead of cloth or surgical masks. For additional information, read our Face Covering FAQs and watch Professor Kat explain why masks are important and where to find them on campus.

Additional Resources

Current information about boosters, testing, isolation and quarantine protocols, and FAQs for students, faculty, and staff is available at Prepared SCU. View the Ask Professor Kat Video Series for additional information. For COVID-related questions or concerns, email us at covid19@scu.edu or call 408-551-1000.

Stay safe and well,
SCU COVID-19 Operations Team