Dear Kenyon College community,
Last week, the College completed a full round of student COVID-19 testing and has received nearly all (98.6 percent) results: 3 of the 1,157 results were positive, for a positivity rate of 0.26 percent. The public health practices students have embraced to reduce community spread have been effective, and they will continue to be important tools as we work together for a successful semester.
Based on these results, the quiet period will end today, Monday, Feb. 22, at noon and campus will operate at our base level of alert (PDF). We are taking this step 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. All students in residence will be tested again this week. In addition, we encourage the practice of double-masking and other measures to ensure a tight fit as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control. At the testing center, students will be provided with 100 triple-layer surgical masks for use under their cloth masks this semester. Students in isolation, quarantine or temporarily exempt from COVID-19 testing will receive instructions on how and when to pick up their masks. Masks also will be available in campus safety, dining services and maintenance for essential workers.
Provided participants wear masks and maintain a 6-foot distance, the following activities may resume at noon today:
- Study lounges and other common spaces will open.
- Students may gather in small groups (10 people or fewer) indoors or out, and in-person extracurricular activities may resume according to the guidelines for events and gatherings and the Student Organization Handbook.
- Students may have one Kenyon guest in their room.
- Athletics activities may resume in a deliberate, measured way under the supervision of coaches and trainers and informed by NCAA guidance. Specific questions regarding club and varsity sports should be directed to athletics@kenyon.edu.
- 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.
- All other operations, including classes, will continue as scheduled.
- Students may not travel outside of Knox County. Travel within the county should be limited to essential activities and taken with care given broader public health conditions.
We will continue to monitor the data closely and adjust our alert levels as necessary.