HARTFORD, Conn. — Trinity College's administration alerted students late Wednesday night that the campus alert level has been raised to orange due to a significant increase in active COVID-19 cases among the student body.
According to the letter, 21 active cases were found from tests conducted Monday and Tuesday.
A dozen of those results came in hours before students were notified.
"The students who have tested positive are either in isolation or are being moved to isolation this evening," officials wrote. "Most will be remain in isolation in a separate building on campus; some have decided to return home. The students are doing well; a few of them are reporting mild symptoms."
Officials said the individuals who tested positive in recent days live in different locations on and off campus, but the new cases appear to be connected so far.
It is believed that the cases are mostly among students who live together in off-campus apartments/housing.
55 additional students have been ordered to quarantine following a contact tracing investigation with these new active cases.
The campus will remain in alert level orange through at least the end of the day on Monday, October 12, officials wrote.
- All classes will be conducted remotely
- All dining is grab-and-go; no seating is permitted inside any dining facility
- Athletic facilities are closed (the COVID-19 testing center in Ferris will remain open)
- The Library is open by appointment only
- Cinestudio is closed
- Students’ residence hall access is limited to the floor of their own residence; common areas are closed
- Only employees whose work requires them to be on campus should report to their offices
According to officials, although raising the alert level from green to orange may cause worry and anxiety, the decision was made as a result of careful review of numerous indicators.
Those indicators include: the rapid increase in the number of active cases on campus over the past 48 hours and the number of individuals in isolation and quarantine as a result of those cases.
"Our focus at this point is in moving swiftly to contain the spread of the virus within our community," officials said.
Trinity reminded students of the following:
- Travel off campus for non-essential reasons is prohibited. If traveling home is needed for an urgent matter, contact the office of the dean of student life at doso@trincoll.edu.
- Call the Health Center (860-297-2018) if you are not feeling well or are experiencing symptoms listed on your daily health report via the CoVerified app.
- The campus testing center remains open, and it is important that you continue with our testing protocols. If your last name begins with A-K, you should continue to schedule appointments for Monday/Thursday. If your last name begins with L-Z, please continue to schedule appointments for Tuesday/Friday.
"We ask for and appreciate your continued commitment to the expectations we have for one another for daily symptom-checking, participating in our ongoing testing program, maintaining proper physical distancing, wearing face coverings, and following all other good health and safety practices," the letter concluded. "All of these are critical to our ability to manage the virus and continue to be together on campus."