August 14, 2020
Today, President Moulton sent the following message to the college community. Media may contact Amanda Chaulk, Director of Marketing & Communications at (802) 698-3036, or contact the President’s Office at president@vtc.edu.
To our students, staff and faculty,
As the college re-opens for the fall semester, I will be providing updates on our efforts to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus on campus and in our community.
First and foremost, I am grateful to our students and staff for their adherence to our protocols in these early days of re-opening Vermont Technical College. The start of school is an exciting time, and your help cooperation and support for the restrictions necessary to protect your health is essential and very much appreciated.
In order to facilitate quarantine, residential assistants and out-of-state students returned to the Randolph Center campus early and were administered tests to detect COVID-19. We have received back one positive result among the first 42 tests performed.
The student had been in quarantine since arriving on campus, and is asymptomatic. Following our protocols put in place for the restart of the fall semester, they have been moved to a separate residence hall for isolation, and we are providing meal and other supports for their physical and emotional health and comfort.
Also according to those same protocols, the college administration and student health team are working in coordination with the state Health Department and local officials to ensure any possible exposures are identified through contact tracing, so that anyone affected will receive immediate health guidance, recommendations and supports.
Our first priority is the health and well being of our students and that of our faculty and staff as well as their families, and our community at large. The protocols we have developed in consultation with the state’s public health experts include testing populations as they arrive on campus, support and isolation of students as needed and continual deep cleaning of our facilities. The actions taken today and going forward represent the system developed by the Vermont Tech Incident Response Team (IRT) and re-opening taskforce.
I also know how important it is that you be informed and have the information you need to stay healthy. I want to reinforce that we are committed to maintaining open communication with all of you here at Vermont Tech and with our community.
The Department of Health’s contact tracing team is working now to reach anyone who is a close contact of this case. In addition, the 42 residential students will receive another test on August 19, 2020.
There is no current threat to the community. As we have seen in its successful response to the now-closed outbreak that started in Winooski, the Health Department has in place response procedures to quickly move to identify and contain potential spread of the virus.
Nonetheless, it is essential that we all continue to follow the recommendations and requirements – all of which are in place to protect each of us and the state at large, from this highly contagious and potentially dangerous virus.
Please follow the Vermont Tech guidelines and protocols, including mask wearing and physical distancing. Wash your hands regularly, and please all do what you can to keep Vermont Tech healthy and open.
