Dear K Students and Families:

We hope you are having a terrific summer. We’re writing today to remind you of the COVID-19 vaccination requirement that was communicated to students and families in the spring. All Kalamazoo College students will be required to be fully vaccinated with one of the COVID-19 vaccines* approved for emergency use by the World Health Organization (WHO). Fully vaccinated means you have completed the vaccination series at least two weeks prior to coming to campus. To meet this requirement, you would need to start a two-part series no later than August 1, 2021**. (For students who are scheduled to return to campus early due to athletics, LandSea or other commitments, please check with your organizations for vaccination deadlines.)

If you have been vaccinated in the state of Michigan, the College should be able to access your vaccination records and you do not need to submit any further documentation unless directly notified by the Student Health Center.

Anyone vaccinated outside of Michigan will need to submit a picture of their authorized vaccination card, with the dates and lot numbers easily visible, to healthsv@kzoo.edu no later than September 1, 2021.

If you have a CDC-approved medical reason for not being able to get the COVID-19 vaccine, please contact the College at healthsv@kzoo.edu to request the waiver forms. Please understand that the College takes the health and safety of its community very seriously and very few waivers are granted. The waiver deadline is August 1, 2021.

Proof of vaccination or an approved waiver are required before a student may attend classes, move into residence halls or attend campus activities. Please be aware that if you are not vaccinated, you may not be able to participate in LandSea, study abroad/study away, or athletics, due to health protocols unique to those activities.

We’re confident the protocols we’ve put in place will allow us to return to the on-campus living and learning experience that K is well-known for, and we look forward to seeing everyone again soon!

Stay healthy, stay safe,

Dana Jansma
Interim Vice President for Student Development and Dean of Students

Danette Ifert Johnson
Provost

*Please note: If you are under 18, the CDC has approved the Pfizer vaccine only.

**The timing between your first and second shots depends on which vaccine you receive. You are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after your second dose.

• If you received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, you should get your second shot three weeks (or 21 days) after your first.
• If you received the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, you should get your second shot four weeks (or 28 days) after your first.

Recent data from state and county public health officials are showing a concerning increase in COVID-19 cases in our area. The daily case count in Michigan is approaching levels last seen during the late November–January surge. On March 31, Michigan’s seven-day positivity rate for coronavirus diagnostic tests was 12.3% and on March 29, the rate in Kalamazoo County was 14.2%. (The goal is to keep positivity rates below 3% to reduce spread.) Additionally, variants of the coronavirus are becoming more prevalent, with Michigan (along with Florida) topping the list of states seeing the spread of those variants. Younger people are now being infected at a higher rate compared to previous surges, and hospitalizations have increased among younger populations that haven’t yet been vaccinated. Fortunately, K’s seven-day positivity rate remains low at 0.2%, thanks to everyone’s commitment to following our safety protocols. 

While vaccines will help a great deal in the long term, the data shows that in the short term, we need to double down on public health guidance about masking, distancing and hand and respiratory hygiene. With some states loosening restrictions and spring weather providing more outdoor activities, it’s going to be tempting to let our guard down; however, public health officials from the CDC to the local health department are imploring us to stay the course:

• Mask up, back up and wash up. Please continue to follow K’s protocols inside and outside while on campus, even after you’ve been vaccinated. 
• Get vaccinated when available. The COVID-19 vaccine is now open to all adults age 16+ in Kalamazoo County. While not mandatory, it is very strongly encouraged. The College will be hosting on-site vaccination clinics for students age 18 and older to be held on April 15 and April 22 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please watch your email for more information, including how to register for an appointment. If students are unable to attend the clinic, we encourage you to sign up for other vaccination opportunities in the area, including the Kalamazoo County Health and Community Services Department, Bronson Hospital, Rite Aid pharmacy, Meijer and Walgreens. You can also visit the state’s COVID-19 vaccine website to search for vaccine opportunities by county. Other vaccination opportunities may be available on campus at a later date; however, timing is dependent on vaccine availability.
• The Campus Activity Level will remain at Orange. Until we see state and local data improve, we will stay at our current level.

Together we can continue to stop the spread. Thank you for Protecting the Hive. 

Sarah B. Westfall
Vice President for Student Development and Dean of Students

Danette Ifert Johnson
Provost

Thank you to everyone who has already scheduled COVID-19 arrival testing or opted out! For students who have yet to take action, we ask that you sign up or opt out by 5 p.m. on Friday, March 26, using the following links:

1. Sign up for arrival testing (this applies to anyone who will be on campus at any time for any reason during the term, and includes students who are staying on campus over spring break).
2. Opt out of testing (this only applies to students who do not plan to be on campus at all in the spring).

Remember, if you have received a COVID-19 vaccine, you still need to participate in arrival and surveillance testing if you are planning to be on campus at any time during spring term.

Students who miss scheduling their COVID-19 test and hope to walk in to an appointment may experience wait times, as scheduled appointments will be seen first.

One last reminder: As it is spring in Michigan and the weather could be unpredictable, please dress appropriately in the event that you may need to wait outside. 

Thank you for Protecting the Hive. 

Sarah B. Westfall
Vice President for Student Development and Dean of Students

Danette Ifert Johnson
Provost

With spring break approaching, the College has received many questions about travel guidance or restrictions due to COVID-19. While travel is not prohibited by K, we do ask that students consider CDC guidance on travelling, particularly where post-travel quarantine is concerned.

The CDC recommends getting tested 3-5 days after domestic or international travel and self-quarantining for a full 7 days after travel. Students are responsible for returning from travel with appropriate time to test and quarantine before attending any in-person classes or activities. If you are traveling and returning to Kalamazoo prior to the first week of classes, this should be sufficient time for arrival testing and quarantine before the start of in-person activities. The first week of classes is entirely virtual to accommodate arrival testing and quarantine (please do not think of this week as an extended spring break).

Below are highlights of the CDC guidance on travel, as well as new guidance regarding vaccinated individuals. Please visit the CDC website for full travel and vaccine guidance.

Thank you for Protecting the Hive.

Lisa Ailstock
Director Student Health Center

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Before You Consider Traveling

Travel increases your chance of spreading and getting COVID-19. CDC recommends that you do not travel at this time.  If you must travel, here are some important questions to ask yourself and your loved ones beforehand.

• Are you, someone in your household, or someone you will be visiting at increased risk for getting very sick from COVID-19?
• Are hospitals in your community or your destination overwhelmed with patients who have COVID-19? To find out, check state, territorial, and local department
• Does your home or destination have requirements or restrictions for travelers?
• During the 14 days before your travel, have you or those you are visiting had close contact with people they don’t live with?
• Do your plans include traveling by bus, train, or air, which might make staying 6 feet apart difficult?
• Are you traveling with people who don’t live with you?

If the answer to any of these questions is “yes,” you should delay your travel.

If You Must Travel

• If you must travel, take these steps to protect yourself and others from COVID-19:
• If you are eligible, get fully vaccinated for COVID-19. Wait 2 weeks after getting your second vaccine dose to travel—it takes time for your body to build protection after any vaccination.
• Get tested with a viral test 1-3 days before you travel. Keep a copy of your test results with you during travel in case you are asked for them. Do NOT travel if you test positive.
• Check travel restrictions before you go.
• Wear a mask over your nose and mouth when in public settings. Masks are required on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation traveling into, within, or out of the United States and in U.S. transportation hubs such as airports and stations.
• Avoid crowds and stay at least 6 feet from anyone who did not travel with you. It’s important to do this everywhere—both indoors and outdoors.
• Wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer (with at least 60% alcohol).
• Bring extra supplies, such as masks and hand sanitizer.
• Avoid contact with anyone who is sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

Do NOT travel if you were exposed to COVID-19, you are sick or you test positive for COVID-19. Learn when it is safe for you to travel. Don’t travel with someone who is sick.

Get Tested and Stay Home After Travel

• Get tested with a viral test 3-5 days after travel AND stay home and self-quarantine for a full 7 days after travel.
• Even if you test negative, stay home and self-quarantine for the full 7 days.
• If your test is positive, isolate yourself to protect others from getting infected.
• If you don’t get tested, stay home and self-quarantine for 10 days after travel.
• Avoid being around people who are at increased risk for severe illness for 14 days, whether you get tested or not.
• Follow all state and local recommendations or requirements after travel.

Also, take these actions after you return from travel to protect others from getting COVID-19:

• Avoid crowds and stay at least 6 feet from anyone who did not travel with you. It’s important to do this everywhere — both indoors and outdoors.
• Wear a mask over your nose and mouth when in public settings.
• If there are people in the household who did not travel with you, wear a mask and ask everyone in the household to wear masks in shared spaces inside your home for 14 days after travel.
• Wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
• Avoid being around people who are at increased risk for severe illness.
• Watch your health: Look for symptoms of COVID-19.

Getting tested after travel is especially important if you did any of these activities that put you at higher risk for COVID-19:

• Going to a large social gathering like a wedding, funeral, or party.
• Attending a mass gathering like a sporting event, concert, or parade.
• Being in crowds like in restaurants, bars, fitness centers, or movie theaters.
• Taking public transportation like planes, trains or buses or being in transportation hubs like airports.
• Traveling on a cruise ship or riverboat.

Interim Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People

Updated Mar. 8, 2021

This is the first set of public health recommendations for fully vaccinated people. This guidance will be updated and expanded based on the level of community spread of SARS-CoV-2, the proportion of the population that is fully vaccinated, and the rapidly evolving science on COVID-19 vaccines.

For the purposes of this guidance, people are considered fully vaccinated for COVID-19 ≥2 weeks after they have received the second dose in a 2-dose series (Pfizer or Moderna), or ≥2 weeks after they have received a single-dose vaccine (Johnson and Johnson).

The following recommendations apply to non-healthcare settings.

Fully vaccinated people can:

• Visit with other fully vaccinated people indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing.
• Visit with unvaccinated people from a single household who are at low risk for severe COVID-19 disease indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing.
• Refrain from quarantine and testing following a known exposure if asymptomatic.

For now, fully vaccinated people should continue to:

• Take precautions in public like wearing a well-fitted mask and physical distancing.
• Wear masks, practice physical distancing, and adhere to other prevention measures when visiting with unvaccinated people who are at increased risk for severe COVID-19 disease or who have an unvaccinated household member who is at increased risk for severe COVID-19 disease.
• Wear masks, maintain physical distance, and practice other prevention measures when visiting with unvaccinated people from multiple households.
• Avoid medium- and large-sized in-person gatherings.
• Get tested if experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
• Follow guidance issued by individual employers.
• Follow CDC and health department travel requirements and recommendations.

Kalamazoo College invited students and their families to a virtual information session with President Jorge G. Gonzalez and the President’s Staff on February 24. View a recording of the meeting below. If you have additional questions about upcoming terms, please email info@kzoo.edu. Thank you!