09/28/2021
By Joseph Hartman
I can’t say enough how grateful I am for all of the employees working to create a low-risk campus environment and for all our students, faculty and staff who have shown such determination to press forward with our commitment to outstanding educational experiences.
While our first month has been successful, we are implementing additional measures recognizing that there are still concerns about COVID-19 exposure. UMass Lowell is extending our indoor mask mandate into October and will reevaluate closer to Halloween where the university and our region stand in terms of community spread.
To help our campus population make the best decisions regarding their health, UMass Lowell has hired additional staff to work with any campus community member who has tested positive and to identify university members with whom they have had significant interactions so that we can notify them and provide guidance of appropriate safety and health protocols. A significant interaction for students might be sharing a meal or being part of a study group or social gathering where face coverings were not worn. For faculty and staff, it might be participation in an extended in-person meeting or meal without face coverings.
Further, faculty members will be informed if one of their on-campus students tests positive, regardless of whether faculty are significant contacts.
I want to be clear about what this new process is and what it is not.
This is not clinical contact tracing and does not replace any local and state contact tracing process. Instead, our notification team will ask those who test positive to share the names and contact information of other campus community members with whom they have recently interacted based on the examples above. The notification team will then relay guidance and recommendations based on the significant contact’s vaccination status, federal and state public health guidelines, and university policies.
Given our campus vaccination rates, the vast majority identified as significant contacts who experience no symptoms will be advised to self-monitor and get a COVID test in three to five days.
And while there are hundreds of locations where you can get a COVID test throughout Massachusetts, UMass Lowell is also working to expand on-campus testing options. Students identified as significant contacts can currently be tested on campus. We are finalizing plans for an on-campus testing location for employees who are significant contacts and will announce that in the coming days.
I also want to provide an update on our ongoing efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and provide a safe and healthy workplace, living and learning environment.
I’m pleased to share that all UMass Lowell students who live or learn on campus and 99.8 percent of employees have been vaccinated or approved for a religious or medical exemption. All who are exempt receive weekly surveillance tests. I know I speak for everyone when I say how grateful we are to our colleagues in Health and Wellness and Human Resources who worked so hard to review and confirm vaccination status in a tight timeframe. Additionally, all campus contractors and vendors have been notified that the university’s vaccine requirement extends to their employees.
Vaccinations combined with indoor face coverings, enhanced ventilation and symptom self-checks are an effective multi-layered strategy. We’ve only had 14 positive cases reported in four weeks among the campus population and no evidence of transmission in the classroom for any of them. Details on how to report cases and other COVID-19 information is available on our website.
The fact that we have done this given our ongoing public health challenges speaks so highly of your commitment to this university and our mission ensuring an environment where academic, professional, and personal growth can all occur.
Thank you for your continued efforts on behalf of each other.