Health Services update for August 27, 2021

Dear Students,

Welcome new and returning students for what will hopefully be a fun, productive, and healthy academic year for our campus community! I hope you were able to enjoy your summer and were able to stay safe.

This is the first of the weekly COVID-19 updates you will receive from me each Friday during the semester. Please take a look at it each week to stay informed.

As you are already aware, this year is starting with new COVID-19 protocols related to testing and vaccination, as well as a return to some old protocols, such as indoor mask wearing. The pandemic is dynamic, and our response has to be as well. Keep checking the student life restart page for needed information regarding campus COVID-19 safety protocols.

One of our new public health protocols is to require the COVID-19 vaccine for all students and employees here at Saint Rose. Those without an approved religious or medical exemption must have the first dose of the vaccine completed by the end of the day on September 9, the date of our on-campus Pfizer vaccination clinic. For anyone that still has concerns about the vaccine, the CDC has a very helpful page that addresses facts and myths related to the different COVID-19 vaccines currently available in the United States. I’ve also put together a video answering common vaccination-related questions. There are many local options available for those who are ready to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, including our own COVID-19 vaccination clinic we are holding on September 9 in the Daniel P. Nolan Gymnasium. Sign up for your slot at that clinic here.

Also remember that students and employees must submit either proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of their arrival on campus. If you have not done this already, upload your proof of vaccination to Medicat today, and be sure to send test results to covidresults@strose.edu in the appropriate timeframe.

Only one employee and zero students have reported previous positive COVID-19 test results this week, and so we currently have one case that is considered active. We removed three active cases earlier this week, as people were cleared to resume normal activity. As a reminder, you can find the tally of positive COVID-19 cases on campus by viewing our COVID-19 Dashboard. It will be updated as new cases are reported.

Testing for COVID-19: COVID-19 testing is available through Health Services, and you should call 518.454.5244 or email healthservices@strose.edu if you are seeking testing.

Reporting positive COVID-19 results: Please remember, we are asking all students who seek off-campus COVID-19 testing and receive a POSITIVE result to email your test result to covidresults@strose.edu.

Reporting possible exposure: Please remember if you have been exposed to anyone that has tested positive for COVID-19 or you suspect you may have been exposed but are unsure, email covidresults@strose.edu to notify the College and discuss your particular situation so we can best advise you on how to proceed. Remember, this directive applies whether the positive case is affiliated with Saint Rose or not.

Treatment at Health Services: For any non-urgent medical issue, students can call 518.454.5244 or email healthservices@strose.edu for assistance, and their cases will be triaged by our LPN or nurse practitioners. Based on the presenting concerns, the triage outcome may lead to a telehealth or in-person appointment with the nurse practitioner. The Health Center will be open for student appointments starting Monday, August 30.

Treatment at the Counseling Center: Students may be experiencing emotional distress in response to the impact of the pandemic on their daily lives. Please call our center at 518.454.5200 or email us at counseling@strose.edu. Students can speak with a counselor through a phone session, Zoom session, or in-person session. The Counseling Center is located on the 3rd floor of Saint Joseph Hall.

More COVID-19 information: You can find the most current COVID-19 information on the CDC’s COVID-19 webpage. You can always call the New York State Department of Health Novel Coronavirus Hotline at 888.364.3065 and ask any question you have regarding COVID-19.

You can view COVID-19 data for the Capital Region (and by county) on the New York State Department of Health’s COVID-19 dashboard.

New York State has put out a new COVID-19 contact tracing app that you can download to your phone. This app will be used to help notify you if you have been in close contact with someone that has tested positive for COVID-19.

As always, if you have any concerns or questions, please contact the College’s Health Services at 518.454.5244 or healthservices@strose.edu.

Sincerely,

Mark Parisi
Director of Counseling and Health Services