Important COVID-19 Update

Friday, August 21, 2020

Dear Albion Community,

We are writing with important information related to COVID-19. Yesterday evening, we learned a member of our community has tested positive for the virus. They are in isolation and remain in our thoughts as they focus on recovery. Due to the preventive measures we have implemented, we are grateful to say potential exposures were minimal. Any individual who was in close contact has been notified and is in self-quarantine.

While this news is always concerning, Albion College has now completed 2337 tests, received 2047 results, and identified three positive cases. To date, our overall positive testing rate is 0.15%. This is significantly lower than the national rate (7.0%) and the rate for the state of Michigan (3.31%).

Please remember we must stay vigilant to be successful:

• If you are sick, stay isolated in your room or at home.
• Wear a mask when you are in a public space.
• Maintain a physical distance of six feet from others.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.

In addition to these public health practices, please make sure to fill out the daily symptoms checker each morning in the Aura app and continue to follow our health and safety practices.

As a campus, we have a responsibility to protect the privacy of each of our community members while reacting quickly to isolate any individuals who potentially have been in close contact. In our commitment to transparency, we will be sharing updates such as this to keep you all aware of potential exposure. Please know that with our rigorous testing and monitoring protocol, we are able to identify positive cases quickly and react accordingly.

We will share updates as we have them.

President Johnson