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Taskforce Communication: January 7, 2022

Return to Campus for Winter Quarter 2022

Happy New Year everyone and welcome back to campus!

We are thankful to everyone for the care and support you have shown through this difficult period and we must continue to stay vigilant and professional as we move through Winter quarter. Our goal is to not return to an outbreak status and to do this we need everyone to work hard, stay healthy and be aware of your health status.

We are now fully back to on-campus instruction for quarters 1-10 (of 14) with some online instruction in each quarter. We will need to keep our compliance with Alameda County Public Health Department and state mandates high to enable us all to enjoy the Life West experience that embodies our college. We know that learning is better when we are in the classroom and both students and faculty are working together. Following are reminders and notes for all of us to remember as we begin the new quarter.

Continued Precautions

The precautions we have set out before still stay the same. The most basic rule we all need to follow is that if you have any symptoms at all, do not come on campus. If you do, and you happen to test Covid positive, it will count against the college in Alameda County’s statistics.

If you know that you’ve been exposed to Covid and/or have tested positive for it, please report it to Professor Straub (students) and Tarsha (employees) by email and be sure to include the listed material below.

Overcuts and Accommodations

As in prior quarters, the “overcut policy” has been removed, and the faculty and the Office of Academic Affairs will continue to work with students who miss time due to being symptomatic or not feeling well. Your health and well-being is key to your performance, and we want to make sure everyone takes the best care of themselves possible. It is still each student’s responsibility to notify their faculty member if they miss an assessment due to symptoms or illness. Students still need to file a makeup petition with the OAA if they miss a midterm(s) or final(s).

Regardless of the current “overcut policy” not being in effect, attending all courses is expected and should be taken seriously as part of the learning process. Treat your live online courses as if they were campus lectures. Show up and participate. The same goes for the asynchronous courses: log in, do the work, and participate. Attend the lab and technique courses on campus, but please, if you are not feeling well or become symptomatic, stay home. Faculty have been flexible working with students to make sure they keep pace with these courses.

Any student who must stay home due to their symptomatology, exposure to a Covid positive case, or notification of exposure to a previously unknown Covid positive case, will be given the appropriate accommodation to enable them to complete their course, test, lab, etc. Please contact the Office of Academic Affairs to arrange this. Our faculty is committed to getting everyone, whether on campus or not, the information they need to progress. Videos of classes you miss while home will be available for you to watch so you do not fall behind. But please do not come to campus if you are not well.

If you know that you’ve been exposed to Covid and/or have tested positive for it, please report it to Professor Straub (students) and Tarsha (employees) by email (see below for contact emails) and include the listed information required below.

Masks

Based on the Alameda County and state orders, when on campus, everyone must wear a mask over their mouth and nose at all times. This is a Health Officer Order and corrective action will be taken if any employees or students are not following this order. This is not optional unless you are eligible for an exemption per the Alameda County order. Surgical and N95 masks are free and available at the Bookstore, Student Life and HR Office on request to all students and employees.

Enforcement

College administration will be spot checking classrooms, labs and offices to ensure masks are worn at all times by faculty, staff and students. Failure to comply with the Alameda County order and LCCW Covid Prevention Plan will result in corrective action:

  • First failure to comply will result in a verbal warning and you will be expected to comply immediately
  • Second failure to comply will result in removal from campus for the remainder of the day
  • Third failure to comply will result in disciplinary action up to and including suspension/termination

Be responsible, be aware, and be supportive of all the Life West community around you.

Guidelines Following a Known Exposure to Covid

There are new guidelines so please read these carefully. These apply to both those who are vaccinated and those who are not vaccinated.

Exposure/Close Contact is defined as being in the presence of someone who is Covid positive for 15+ minutes under six foot distance.

If you have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, or you have tested positive for it, please email taskforce@lifewest.edu. Please review the following information for next steps:

When to Self-Isolate or Quarantine per ACPHD

If Exposed to a COVID Positive Case – Unvaccinated or Vaccinated without Booster

  • If you are unvaccinated, or vaccinated but you have not yet received a booster (different vaccines have different minimum time periods for when the booster should be received), or you have received your booster but the required two weeks for full immunity have not yet passed, and you have been notified by Life West as having had close contact (as defined above) with someone that tested positive for Covid, you must self-isolate for at least 5 days from the date of your last contact with the person who has COVID-19.
  • On the fifth day you must get tested. Quarantine can end after day 5 if symptoms are not present and a diagnostic specimen collected on day 5 or later tests negative.
  • If unable to test or choosing not to test, and symptoms are not present, you must self-isolate for 10 days.
  • If you test positive or develop symptoms, see guidelines below for positive cases.

If Exposed to a COVID Positive Case – Vaccinated + Booster

  • If you are vaccinated + booster (two weeks must have passed from receiving your COVID booster) and you have been notified by Life West as having had close contact (as defined above) with someone that tested positive for Covid, you do not have to quarantine if you do not have symptoms.
  • You should get tested on Day 5.
  • If you test positive or develop symptoms, see guidelines below for positive cases.

If You Receive a Covid Positive Result

  • Whether you are vaccinated + booster, vaccinated or unvaccinated, you must self-isolate and quarantine for 5 days. Isolation can end after day 5 if symptoms are not present or are resolving and a diagnostic specimen collected on day 5 or later tests negative.
  • If unable to test or choosing not to test, and symptoms are not present or are resolving, isolation can end after day 10.
  • If fever is present, isolation should be continued until fever resolves.
  • If symptoms, other than fever, are not resolving, continue to isolate until symptoms are resolving or until after day 10.

Reporting Positive Test Results

Students and employees must immediately report positive test results via email to TASKFORCE@LIFEWEST.EDU.

Please ensure your email includes the following information:

  • First Name, Last Name
  • Student or Employee
  • Contact number
  • Vaccination Status: Vaccinated or Unvaccinated (optional)
  • Status: Covid-19 Positive or exposed
  • Last on campus: Provide date
  • Symptomatic or non-symptomatic
  • Others potentially exposed

Note: To protect your privacy, all information submitted will be handled with the utmost confidentiality.

Further Enquiries

These protocols and guidelines apply the same to everyone, whether student, faculty, or employee, and will be strictly enforced. For any enquiries, please refer to the following:

Life West Advice on Staying Healthy

As always, we encourage everyone to keep your nervous system functioning to the best of its ability by seeing your chiropractor or intern, get plenty of fresh air and exercise, eat healthy and nutritious foods, stay hydrated, keep a positive mental attitude, stay mindful, and support and respect each other. We will get through this together.

Life West Task Force Team

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