It's hard to believe that it's already November, and we’re going to turn the clocks back this weekend! We are quickly entering the season of colds, influenza and COVID. In the last few weeks, COVID case rates and hospitalizations are increasing in western Maine, and we have seen an uptick of cases on campus. Oxford county is currently designated as a “High” COVID Community Level. Because of this, it seems like a good time to send a reminder of our COVID policy and other information that will help our community stay healthy this winter.
Masking
With a “High” COVID Community Level, the Maine CDC recommends community members wear a mask while in indoor public settings. In the past, Gould has required masking based on this recommendation; however, going forward, the decision to change to universal indoor masking will be made after an assessment of the CDC risk designation, the number of active cases on campus and upcoming school events (such as graduation).
We will continue to ask students and employees to mask:
- If they are designated as a close contact.
- If they are returning from COVID infection (days 6-10).
- If they are sick but testing negative for COVID.
Communication of Campus Illness Trends
The Health Center will be sending out a weekly email to students and employees to share trends we’re seeing. This will include the number of COVID cases and close contacts. We are hoping this information will be helpful to individuals when they are making the personal decision to wear a mask.
Testing
We have plenty of antigen tests available in the Health Center. If you have any COVID-like symptoms (cough, sore throat, headache, fatigue, chills), you should test as soon as possible. Serial testing is most effective when using antigen tests.
Vaccines
Please check to see if you are eligible for a COVID vaccine booster dose. The new bivalent booster has shown good ability to protect against the Omicron variants of COVID. If you have questions about COVID vaccines, this is a good resource from the Maine CDC.
Covid boosters are available locally at:
- Walgreens in Bethel. They take walk-ins Monday through Friday from 10am-1pm and from 2pm-5pm.
-
Walk-In COVID Clinic at the Gem Theater, November 17th from 2pm-5pm. The vaccines AND the popcorn are free!
Flu Vaccines
At Gould’s flu clinic in October, we administered 186 vaccinations! That is a great start to ensure we don’t have an outbreak of influenza at Gould this winter, but we still have more to go. Walk-in appointments are available at the Bethel Walgreens (hours above). Even if you aren’t worried about getting the flu, trust me, it's no fun. Getting vaccinated protects you and your community.
Isolation on Campus
As a reminder to all students and families, we have a very limited ability to care for students who test positive for COVID. Boarding students will be expected to get picked up within 24 hours if they live within driving distance of campus.
Thank you all for your willingness to adapt to the constant changes that COVID has brought us.
Joanna Brown, RN,
Health Services Director
brownj@gouldacademy.org
|