Dear Kenyon College community,
Last week, the College completed a full round of student COVID-19 testing and has received nearly all results, one of which was positive. That student is in isolation and anyone who may have been in close contact is in quarantine. Students will be tested at least twice more (50 percent each week) before departing campus. In addition, employees who work on campus are being tested this week. Data will continue to be updated weekdays on the College’s online dashboard.
Campus will return to a low level of alert and suspend the quiet period beginning on Thursday, Oct. 29, at 8 a.m. We do this with the confidence that the Kenyon community will continue to adhere to vital public health practices — wearing a mask, keeping a 6-foot distance, washing hands regularly and avoiding crowded spaces and gatherings.
It is critically important that the Kenyon community remain vigilant, as cases in neighboring communities and throughout Ohio continue to rise. We are monitoring the data closely — wastewater tests in the Village of Gambier, Knox County case data and alerts, guidance from the State of Ohio. As we know from experience, conditions can change quickly and we may need to adjust our alert levels again as necessary.
As of 8 a.m. Thursday, unless noted otherwise:
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Peirce servery will reopen starting with breakfast, and dine-in seating will be available.
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Study lounges and other common spaces will reopen.
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Students may gather in small groups (10 people or fewer) and in-person extracurricular activities may resume according to the guidelines for events and gatherings and the Student Organization Handbook.
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Students may have one Kenyon guest in their room.
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The KAC will reopen for fitness and recreation (at 7 a.m. on Thursday). Athletics activities may resume in a deliberate, measured way that follows NCAA phasing guidelines. Specific questions regarding club and varsity sports should be directed to athletics@kenyon.edu.
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Admissions and athletics tours may be conducted by appointment. This ensures that visitors do not explore campus on their own and that they strictly adhere to the College’s public health directives, including wearing masks and refraining from entering academic or residential buildings
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All other operations, including classes, will continue as scheduled.
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Students may not travel outside of Knox County. Travel within the county should be limited to essential activities, which includes voting, and taken with care given broader public health conditions.