April 19, 2022

To the Dartmouth community,

Over the past few weeks, we have witnessed a rise in case counts throughout our region and on campus. We understand, and feel acutely ourselves, the anxiety and uncertainty this can cause about health and safety in our community. As you know, we recently reduced Dartmouth’s requirement for asymptomatic testing and indoor masking, and we do not plan to reverse course on those decisions at this time (please read on below for more information on Dartmouth’s decision-making process). However, we write today to ask you to be careful, watch out for yourself and others in our community, and use available resources to protect yourself and others.

Please remember:

  • Asymptomatic COVID-19 testing is still available to all students, faculty, and staff. We encourage you to take advantage of this resource.

  • If you feel sick or think you might have COVID-19 symptoms, take an antigen test and confirm that your test is negative before leaving your room or residence.

  • Although no longer mandatory in most locations, masks are scientifically proven to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and can help protect you and others. We encourage you to respect others who wish to wear a mask or who politely request that you wear a mask.

We must do what we can to stay healthy and safe. Based on feedback we have heard from many of you, we are making some changes to ensure everyone has access to the resources and information they need to make decisions. 

  • Free KN95 masks, take-home PCR tests, and take-home rapid antigen tests continue to be available at all testing and pick-up locations. To increase ease of access, KN95 face masks and take-home rapid antigen tests will be distributed this week at the tent next to Parkhurst on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Pick-up details are below.

  • An on-campus vaccination and booster clinic is scheduled for Tuesday, April 26 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Alumni Hall in the Hopkins Center. Registration details are below.

  • Dartmouth’s COVID-19 dashboard will be updated twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays, to provide more up-to-date information for our community.

Dartmouth leadership is committed to adapting to the ever-changing pandemic environment in ways that protect our ability to maintain the in-person learning experience and protect the mental and physical health of our students, faculty, and staff. As always, check your email, social media, and campus signs for information as situations evolve.

If you would like to know more about how Dartmouth leadership makes COVID-19 decisions, as well as some of our thinking on recent policy, please read on. 

In making COVID-19-related policy decisions, Dartmouth leadership regularly considers data from a variety of sources, including case counts and hospitalization rates from Grafton County, guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, advice from scientific advisers and the Dartmouth Health Service, and our own data from symptomatic tests. And last month, we collected survey responses from about 6,000 students, faculty, staff, and parents to understand the community’s thoughts on Dartmouth’s response to the pandemic. The survey results indicated that a majority of our community members are satisfied with Dartmouth’s response to the pandemic this year, and that most are feeling less concerned about COVID-19 risk than they were at this time last year. As expected, the results also show that passions on COVID-19-related issues continue to run high making it all the more important that we all continue to be respectful of different points of view.

In response to these trends and the feedback we have received from many of you, we would like to share some of our thinking and recent decisions on the following: 

  • COVID-19 testing strategy

  • Face-mask requirements

  • COVID-19 dashboard changes

  • COVID-19 vaccination and booster requirement

COVID-19 Testing Strategy

With the rise of omicron in our community, it became clear that having immediate test results was critical to help stop the spread of a more transmissible strain of the virus. With that in mind, Dartmouth opted to put antigen tests in the hands of students, faculty, and staff to use at their discretion. Take-home rapid antigen tests are available for students, faculty, and staff to pick up, two at a time as supplies allow. The shift toward antigen tests was made to allow community members to learn their COVID-19 status more rapidly, rather than waiting for PCR test results. We are requiring in-person rapid antigen tests for those who have symptoms or who wish to test out of isolation. Students, faculty, and staff will continue to have access to in-person and take-home PCR tests and may choose to take up to two PCR tests a week. 

Although we have discontinued the asymptomatic testing requirement, we encourage all members of the Dartmouth community to test when necessary. Take a test if you are experiencing symptoms, or take a test out of an abundance of caution. Please make responsible decisions for the health of our community. 

Face-Mask Requirements

Dartmouth’s face-mask policy has shifted to provide increased autonomy for students, faculty, appointees, staff, and visitors. We ask that you be prudent and courteous in your mask-wearing. While not required, all are free to request that others around them wear a mask. We urge you to be respectful of these requests knowing that masking is an effective way to protect yourself and others from spreading the virus.

KN95 face masks are available at all testing and pick-up locations. 

To increase the ease of access, KN95 face masks and take-home rapid antigen tests will be distributed this week at the tent next to Parkhurst on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

  • The tent will operate Wednesday and Thursday from 12 to 7 p.m., and Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

  • All individuals will be able to collect five KN95 face masks and two take-home rapid antigen tests.

  • Individuals will be able to collect face masks and take-home rapid antigen tests on behalf of one other person, but please do not plan to pick up for a group.

  • These resources will also be available at testing locations throughout the spring as supplies allow.

Department bulk orders of KN95 masks should be directed to Central Stores at 603-646-3289 or to Central.Stores@dartmouth.edu. 

COVID-19 Dashboard Changes

As the COVID-19 landscape evolves, the metrics that inform risk and prevalence shift as well. Dartmouth continues to report COVID-19 vaccination rates and active COVID-19 cases for students, faculty, and staff, as these are currently the best indicators of the health of our community.

As a result of the shift to antigen-focused testing, Dartmouth has stopped reporting surveillance testing data on the dashboard. Case counts now represent self-reported positive results, symptomatic on-campus tests, and voluntary on-campus tests. The dashboard no longer shows test positivity rate, as in some cases only positive results are required to be reported. Without complete information on how many total tests have been conducted, we do not have an accurate understanding of the true rate of positivity on campus. Further, the set of people testing will likely skew toward those who have symptoms and will therefore overestimate the positivity rate on campus. 

Leadership will continue to consult guidance at the federal, state, and local levels, as well as advice from scientific and health experts, to determine the most effective metrics to monitor and communicate.

We had recently made a shift to update the COVID-19 dashboard with new case information once per week, on Tuesdays. Following this change, we heard from individuals who were eager to have the dashboard updated more frequently to help make daily decisions. Therefore, we will now update the dashboard on Tuesdays and Fridays.

COVID-19 Vaccination and Booster Requirement

Dartmouth’s vaccination policy indicates that anyone who is eligible for the booster must receive the shot, or be approved for a medical or religious exemption from the requirement, within 30 days of becoming eligible. Vaccinations and boosters are a highly effective way to protect yourself from serious side effects of COVID-19. Nearly 96% of Dartmouth’s population is up to date on vaccines and boosters, and nearly 98% of the Dartmouth community is fully vaccinated.

At this time, Dartmouth is not requiring students, faculty, or staff to receive a second booster. If you receive a second booster, you may choose to submit your vaccination record to Dartmouth. Students can submit their record to the Health Service web portal, and employees can submit their record using the vaccine tracker form.

Dartmouth will be hosting a COVID-19 vaccine clinic for Dartmouth students, faculty, and staff on Tuesday, April 26 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Alumni Hall in the Hopkins Center. This clinic will have Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines available for those who are eligible to receive a primary series vaccine, a first booster, or a second booster. 

To register for the upcoming clinic, visit the Axiom Medical Vaccine Vault Portal. If you have previously attended an Axiom-managed clinic, please log in on Axiom’s website and follow the instructions to register. 

  • Use your NetID in the “Employee ID” field. Students should also enter their NetID in the “Employee ID” field.

  • Individuals who received a WHO-EUL (PDF) initial vaccination must receive the Pfizer booster shot.

  • If you select “yes” when you are asked if you have allergic reactions to anything, you will be prohibited from selecting an appointment time. In order to unflag your account, email VaccineService@axiomllc.com so the team can determine whether you are an appropriate candidate for the booster vaccination you are requesting.

  • If you experience issues registering for the clinic, visit Axiom’s how to register page.

  • Bring your vaccination card to Alumni Hall to be able to document your booster shot.

We ask that you show compassion, flexibility, and understanding toward fellow members of our community as our response to the pandemic evolves. We are grateful for your support, and we continue to welcome your feedback.

Sincerely,

Rick and Dave