February 25, 2021

To the Dartmouth community,

The COVID-19 Task Force chairs informed the community yesterday that we've been experiencing an increase in virus transmission among students, leading to our decision to transition dining across campus to "grab-and-go" only. The number of students diagnosed with COVID-19 has now reached 37 and this count may rise as the contacts of people who have tested positive for the virus are also tested.

For everyone's health and safety, we will therefore now need to limit most of
our indoor activities to help reduce disease transmission:

• As of 4 p.m. today, all indoor gathering spaces will be closed until next Tuesday, March 2. This includes the Library and Alumni Gym. The only exceptions will be for laboratories and project spaces, which will remain open and operating under current COVID-19 protocols.

• All in-person classes will move to remote teaching for Friday and Monday.

• We will continue to offer "grab-and-go" dining options during this time.

• We will use the testing data collected on Monday, March 1, to determine whether to reopen indoor spaces early next week.

• Outdoor spaces and most outdoor activities will continue to be made available, weather permitting. Transportation to outdoor activities, such as the Skiway, has been suspended as we identify whether there are options to continue to provide safe transport under the current conditions.

Please help us break the cycle of transmission by practicing 6-foot physical distancing, avoiding gatherings of people, refraining from using public transit, continuing to participate in regular surveillance testing, and wearing an appropriate face covering at all times.

We understand that everyone is tired of waiting out the pandemic and curtailing social activities--please take advantage of the milder weather to leave your room and change your surroundings. It is important to find ways to care for yourself every day.

We want to remind students that information gathered during contact tracing is considered confidential/protected health information and is not shared with anyone outside of Dartmouth health care staff and public health officials. The speed, accuracy, and completeness of contact tracing are critical in preventing and containing outbreaks. Please do not hesitate to share your contacts if asked.

We will be in touch as soon as we have more information to share. We appreciate the efforts being made across campus and in the community to follow the health and safety precautions that prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Sincerely,